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Ten years ago I published earlier versions of Chapters 1 and 2 of this book, in the form of a study of Paul Veyne in Informations sur les Sciences Sociales (1980) and a critical note on Alexander Zinoviev in Archives Européennes de Sociologie (1980). In the first article I showed that Veyne had been profoundly influenced by Hegel and Tocqueville, and went on to say that:
To these two internal reference points within the book there is to be added a third, which both illuminates it and is illuminated by it: Alexander Zinoviev's The Yawning Heights. The affinities and contrasts between authoritarian, democratic and totalitarian societies will enable us to rebuild political sociology on new and solid foundations with Veyne, Tocqueville, and Zinoviev as permanent references.
In the introductory note to the second article I said much the same:
By a happy coincidence, I read Zinoviev's work at the same time as Bread and Circuses, when I was also rereading Democracy in America. From time to time I shall have the opportunity of pointing out some of the many points at which the three books converge, a subject to which I hope to be able to devote a separate study later.
I often thought of carrying out the project, but it was not until 1989 that I had the chance to do so.
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- Political Psychology , pp. vii - viiiPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993