The Study Of Michels' Ideological Oligarchy

Organization means rule of oligarchy. This challenging argument is the core of the Robert Michels'rule of oligarchy thought. Organization is the method that adopted by people to realize their purposes. For the good running of organization, the appearance of leader is necessary. Organization emerges alienation in the process of the leader keeping his long-term leadership,and eventually becomes the tool to achieve their own ends. The appearance of the oligarchy is the result of the interaction of three aspects, which are organization itself, leader and people. Organization provides the basis of giving birth to the oligarchy, leader manages the internal operating mechanism of the oligarchy, and people precipitate the formation of the oligarchy subjectively because of its own characteristics.From the aspects of the organization itself, people and leader, social and psychological factors, democracy and oligarchy, Michels proved that the oligarchy is unavoidable. The rule of oligarchy thought caused huge influences in educational circles. Many scholars did investigations about this, and they criticized his opinions which are concerned about political party and organization. It is worth noting that,some socialist did various attempts to prevent the trend of oligarchy, but the attempts produced little effect. It is awkward that some socialistic parties which take democracy as guiding principle finally got caught up in vicious circle. As michels said: if you can not eliminate it, the you should face the danger of oligarchy's appearance in democracy system sincerely and calmly. The development of the society makes us realize that the rule of oligarchy is being challenged. The maturity of information network, sound organization, the promotion of people's wisdom, and the prevailing participation of the public all make the power of the organization oligarchy contained and slacked. We should think the organization oligarchy under the new situation in an advancing way ,as well as the internal operation of the mechanism of the phenomenon to development vision, and with a view to promoting the theory and practice of democracy for a depth knowledge and understanding.