Fiction, class warfare and contemporary politics
In his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, John
Adams famously rejected Jefferson’s belief in a “natural aristocracy” (of
virtue and talents) as an antithesis to Europe’s “artificial aristocracy
founded on wealth and birth.” He stated “And both artificial Aristocracy, and
Monarchy, and civil, military, political and hierarchical Despotism, have all
grown out of the natural Aristocracy of "Virtues and Talents."
Although he goes on to admit that “We, to be sure, are far remote from this”,
his belief that restrictive structures such as the British monarchy and
European aristocracy in general can develop from the fact that “Virtues and
Talents” are unequally distributed is reflected strongly in contemporary
society. Alas, how could he have known how right history would prove him when
he said: “Many hundred years must roll away before We shall be corrupted.” While
it hasn’t been “many hundred years” but two hundred almost to the day, the
corruption he spoke of finally has arrived, and not just for the nation he helped
found.
