The Origin of Authoritarian Democracy

Author: (By) Tarmon, translated by Sun Chuanzhao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The evaluation of Tarmon's work by Chinese academia has been mixed, with praise and criticism alike, and differing opinions. As far as the translator's knowledge goes, many Chinese scholars who have mentioned this work seem to have not read it thoroughly. Therefore, introducing it to Chinese readers remains a necessary and beneficial task, allowing more Chinese readers to see its "true face." Tarmon's work is one of his most famous, as stated in the preface, where he designated it as Volume I and later wrote its sequels—Volumes II and III. In Volume II, he traces the conflict between the messianic socialism and messianic nationalism of 19th-century socialism, as well as the influence of European Romantic philosophy on politics at the time, through a comparison between socioeconomic realities and political realities around the 1848 Revolution. In Volume III, his focus shifts to the 20th century, addressing the question: Why did Nazism rise to the political stage? Why did the 20th century struggle in the mire of destruction, tyranny, and hatred? His answer: In addition to the special social and political reasons of the nation, another important reason was the strong and rapid resistance to rationalism and individual liberalism in the late 19th century. I wonder if there are any fellow enthusiasts interested in introducing Volumes II and III to Chinese readers? Additionally, throughout Tarmon's work, the influence of his mentor,, can be seen everywhere. I hope scholars in China with research conditions can also do more to introduce's theories. Due to prolonged unemployment, I can say that I completed this translation in a state of poverty and illness, mentally and physically exhausted, and in a solitary mood. During this time, I even experienced 40-degree summer heat without air conditioning, and a computer led to the loss of 120,000 Chinese characters I had already translated, nearly making me lose the courage to start over and continue. In the final proofreading stage, it was the sparse late autumn, and the coming of inflation added to my melancholy about the future.