ABSTRACT
I Tisoneoftheclassicfeaturesofpoliticalrealismthattheorganism knownastheStateisconceivedofasthecentralnervoussystemof
modempolitics.Becausethisisthecase,andbecauseSorelwasinan exactsensearealist,hesoughttoanchorhissystemofpoliticaltheory toananalysisoftheStateanditssubjects.Inthepresentperioditis nolongerpossibletosuppressthesignificanceoftheStatebymaintainingthatitservesasthecorporealmediumforexpressingdivine law,or,asisnowmorefashionablythecase,aspiritualmediumfor expressingnaturallaw.Nordoestheclassicliberalposture,inwhich theStateisrepresentedasaphilanthropicfusionguardingthemost sacredrightsofthecitizensononehandandtheprofanerightsof propertyontheother,offermuchcomfortinasituationinwhich bothpoliticalandeconomicpowerisconcentratedratherthan diversified.
