ABSTRACT
More recent sociological inquiries addressing the theme of the authoritarian figure have largely ignored this original type of method. In the wake of its French translation several theoretical texts by French researchers have been published prompting an analysis of the original design of the survey on the authoritarian personality before examining its empirical topicality. The broad conclusion of Zeuner's survey confirms in every aspect the approach of the studies on the 'Authoritarian Personality': 'Receptivity to themes of the far-right by those surveyed does not primarily depend upon their social status, but mainly on the way these individuals are able to confront the social problems they encounter. The results of our survey demonstrate a polarization between two distinct modes of action: a lasting and autonomous democratic commitment and delegating issues of existential order to authorities promising power and strength, security and order. These broad character types correspond to a sociological classification that is sustained by a significant theoretical construction.
