William Ebensten - Today's ISMs, 6th - (Book Review)

Winter quarter of 1973 I was beginning my final year of college taking a course in political theory. The text was "Today's ISMS" written by William Ebenstein, a famous political scientist. In perusing the book again, I notice that the book cost me $3 new and in the back of the book I wrote "Final Exam HC 2222 3/14/73 3:40 pm." HC is Haley Center. That's all I remember but by golly I did read the book because I see my notes all throughout. Some of us DID read the textbook back then!

This book is as relevant today as it was then.  The biggest difference is that Communism as a threat to Democracy is all but vanished.  Back then Fascism was a distant threat.  History has reversed itself.  Fascism is the greatest threat to Democracy now.

Interpretations of history:

1) Divine providence.
2) Political: Kings, Emperors, legislators, soldiers as decisive forces in history and so historical writing was about the records of kings, wars, and peace treaties.
3) The hero interpretation.  The Great Man theory.
4) ideas as the main driver in history.
5) Marx introduced the economic interpretation of history.
The truth is that all of these views are necessary to understand the complexity of history.
P. 3-4

Where conflicts are primarily  economic compromise can be easy.  Where conflicts involve religion, values, and individual liberty, compromise can be more difficult.
P. 8

Our scientific knowledge grow faster than our social wisdom.  P. 9

Marx emphasizes that all of history is a history of class struggles.  P. 11

Statement on "Jacksonian Democracy."  P. 12

Principles of Fascism (even though there is no standard summary of fascism)
1. Distrust of reason.
2. Denial of basic human equality
3. Code of behavior based on lies and violence.
4. Government by elite.
5. Totalitarianism.
6. Racism and imperialism.
7. Opposition to international law and order.
P. 132

Fascists only know enemies, not opponents.  P. 134


In the context of the partition of Germany at the end of World War 2, the four powers agreed on the democratization of Germany. The problem is that the Western powers had a different definition of democracy than the Soviet Union.
For the Western nations, democracy meant free elections; a free press; freedom of political association; freedom of religion, thought, and speech; equality before the law; the right to choose one's job; the right to form free trade unions; the right to move freely within one's country, go abroad temporarily, or emigrate permanently.
Above all, freedom from fear. Citizens should not fear unwarranted intrusion by the government, particularly a secret police.
Still a good summary of our democracy.  P. 159

The revolution in communication media has produced the problem of "sensory overload." The individual is so bombarded by sensations, enticements, threats, and packaged bits of information and misinformation that demand immediate response or satisfaction---and such instant reactions are basically incompatible with the slow and plodding methods of critical rationalism. P. 165

"By the same token written constitutions are not necessarily a protection (against fascism).
Even in the United States, the written Constitution is, in itself, no last line of defense of political democracy.
The lessons of our political historical experience is simple: the strength of a democracy is never greater than the will of the people to uphold it." P. 176


Where agreement on fundamentals is lacking, political democracy suffers from stresses and strains that may prove fatal. A democratic constitution assumes, but cannot in itself create,the will to maintain democratic institutions. P. 176