This work has been declared by the AHA board as historic, and is superseded by Humanist Manifesto III. The Manifesto is a product of many minds. It was designed to represent a developing point of view, not a new creed.
Re: the iron law of oligarchy Aug22-09, 10:47 PM JRDunassigned: The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory, first developed by the German syndicalist sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book, Political Parties. This is actually wrong.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Oligarchy (from Greek á½Î»Î¹Î³Î±ÏÏÎ¯Î± (oligarkhia) ; oligarkhÃ­a from (á½Î»Î¯Î³Î¿Ï) , oligos olÃ­gos, meaning few (and) , á¼ÏÏÏ arkho meaning to rule or) to command is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number. of peoplehroughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which another term commonly used today is plutocracy.