«The use of force in society». Pareto and the (Machiavellian) residue of violence

The present essay aims to interpret in a socio-literary way the principle of supremacy emphasized by Pareto in the Treatise of General Sociology (§2170-2202), by means of Machiavelli’s symbolism of power. One century after its first edition, Pareto’s masterpiece can help us understand the historical origins of the use of force, together with the social consequences stemming from power and supremacy in conjunction with violence and oppression. The dialectics between residues and derivations mark the development of political action, also in reference to the exploitation of force in a “rational” way. The law of the fittest seems to rule the current relationships between countries as well, in accordance with the metaphor of counter-balanced society developed by Leopardi as well as Machiavelli long before. In this sense, Pareto’s Machiavellianism has not lost its sociological effectiveness, especially regarding the tendency of politicians to simulate and dissimulate their intentions. Hence follows the opportunity to investigate further Pareto’s intuitions on the use of force, in accordance with the literary insights provided by Machiavelli and Leopardi.