Ressentiment and Mandeville's Fable of the Bees
Ressentiment is the feeling of ordinary people that the elite does not know much about their own problems first - hand, even though presuming to speak on their behalf.
Richard Sennett writes in his book, Together - The Rituals, Pleasures, and Politics of Co-operation:
Ressentiment is the feeling of ordinary people that the elite does not know much about their own problems first - hand, even though presuming to speak on their behalf.
One thing that has struck me particularly about ressentiment is the aura of conspiracy which shapes it. In one way this aura is irrational; the liberal elites are seen as in cahoots with one another - politicians, media, Left- leaning foundations, Ivy League universities with their bearded radicals, union leaders appear to have sworn a secret pact. Reforms in the name of the people done through back- room deals translate into conspiracies that deprive ordinary people both of their rights and of their respect. Political movements of all colours face this dilemma.
This equation is the modern appearance of that nefarious conniving which long ago appeared in the pages of Mandeville’s Fable of the Bees.
Mandeville's Fable of the Bees tells the story of a beehive that is thriving because of the vices of its inhabitants. The bees are lazy, gluttonous, and lustful, but they also consume a great deal of goods and services, which stimulates the economy. When the bees decide to become virtuous and abandon their vices, the economy collapses.
Mandeville's point is that private vices are often necessary for public benefits. For example, the luxury goods that the bees consume support a thriving artisanal class. The lawyers and judges who are needed to settle disputes between the bees are also a product of their vices.
Mandeville's fable is a reminder that the world is a complex place, and that there are often unintended consequences of our actions. It is also a reminder that we should be careful about judging others, as we all benefit from the vices of others in some way.