Why did one thinker inspire both the Bolsheviks and the rise of fascism?
In short: Georges Sorel was a French social theorist whose defense of violence and the power of myth mobilized disparate political movements. By rejecting economic determinism, he argued that collective belief could drive social change, leaving a legacy that bridged the gap between revolutionary syndicalism, national regeneration, and radical authoritarianism.
Born in 1847, Georges Sorel spent much of his career as a civil engineer before becoming a prolific, if unconventional, political theorist. His intellectual journey was marked by a constant evolution, moving from liberal-conservative roots to Marxism, and eventually toward syndicalism. Throughout his life, he drew inspiration from thinkers as diverse as Karl Marx, Henri Bergson, and William James, crafting a philosophy that prioritized human agency over rigid historical laws.
Sorel is best remembered for his 1908 work, Reflections on Violence, which argued that parliamentary democracy was incompatible with true socialism. He believed that the working class needed to develop its own institutions and identity, rather than relying on bourgeois political structures. To achieve this, he proposed the 'proletarian strike' as a myth—a powerful, mobilizing idea that could inspire collective energy and moral renewal, regardless of its literal accuracy or economic inevitability.
His rejection of historical determinism led him to explore synthesis between syndicalism and nationalism. By the 1910s, he admired figures like Charles Maurras and later praised Lenin and Mussolini, viewing them as leaders capable of correcting government weakness. Historian Zeev Sternhell noted that Sorel’s revision of Marxism broke the link between revolution and the working class, allowing for the possibility that a national community could replace the proletariat as the primary revolutionary force.
Though his belonging to the Marxist tradition is contested, Sorel’s work remains a study in the power of ideas to shape reality. He viewed social science not as a search for atemporal laws, but as a contextual explanation of human agency. By focusing on the 'artificial milieu' created by human decisions, he sought to understand how societies could be transformed through highly charged social conflict, a perspective that continues to intrigue and disturb political historians today.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Georges Sorel
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