THE MAN ON HORSEBACK
-i-
Other Works by S. E. Finer
A Primer of Public Administration, 1950 Life and Times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (with Sir John Maud), 1952 Local Government in England and Wales, 1953 Anonymous Empire: A Study of the Lobby in Great Britain, 1958; second edition, revised and enlarged, 1966 Private Industry and Political Power, 1958 Backbench Opinion in the House of Commons (with D. F. Bartholomew and H. B. Berrington), 1961 Editor of:
E. Sieyès: What is the Third Estate?, 1963 Vilfredo Pareto: Sociological Writings (with Derick Mirfin), 1966
Introduction to the Transaction Edition1
THE opportunity offered to me by Professor Irving Horowitz to write the introduction for the reissuance of this civil-military relations volume was especially welcomed because of the additional expo¬sure Finer's work would be likely to receive. Despite being exten¬sively referenced within academic works, from my perspective, this work has never received the attention or recognition it deserves from the "general reader" for whom Finer said that he wrote, or the wider spectrum of military scholars for whom the work is clearly applicable. I see this work as a classic statement in civil-military relations, which continues lo hold considerable relevance to the contemporary student. Professor Horowitz's decision to reissue the book is insightful, and it is my hope that as a result, the work will serve as a stimulus to the interested student, and enjoy a much wider exposure than that which occurred during its initial release.
One option for the presentation of this introductory essay is to provide the reader a quick start by offering a brief biographical sketch, and a summary paragraph or two about Finer's thesis. The alternative is to present a more detailed account of Finer and his manuscript. I elected to pursue the latter with the idea of advancing a more complete skeletal portrait. Consequently, my objective is to offer some observations of Samuel Edward Finer, the man; the time period in which the work originally appeared; and the general the¬sis he advanced.
FINER, THE MAN
Samuel Finer,2 the youngest of six children, was born September 22, 1915 to Romanian immigrant parents in Islington, England. He died June 9, 1993 at the age of seventy-seven. As a child, he was informed early and often by his parents, especially his mother, that he was poor, Jewish, and would always have to work hard. Indeed, he spent his life pursuing this advice with diligent effort. His voluminous publication record, and reputation as an enormously respected lec-turer and professor, evolved from his eclectic scholarly reading that he was able to do within a variety of languages. Despite the meager means of his family, his early application of his intelligence enabled him to secure scholarships for his education at Trinity College, Ox¬ford.
The direction of his academic pursuits was influenced by his brother, Herman, eighteen years his senior.3 Herman Finer had also benefited from academic scholarships and became a respected po¬litical scientist. He served as a lecturer at the London School of Economics, and subsequently occupied the chair of the political science department at the University of Chicago. Observing the early success of his brother's academic efforts, Samuel declared, at the age of seven, that he wanted to be just like his brother Herman.
Following his graduation from Trinity, Samuel responded to England's involvement in World War II by serving six years in the Royal Signals, rising to the rank of Captain. After being discharged, he began his academic career on the faculty of Balliol College. This appointment was followed in 1950 by a professorship of political institutions at Keele, the first of Great Britain's post-war universi¬ties. In 1966 he became professor of government and public admin¬istration at Manchester University, and returned to Oxford in 1974, where he held the Gladstone Chair and Professorship of Government and Public Administration. At various times, and beyond these posi¬tions, Finer held visiting professorships at the Institute of Social Studies at the Hague, Cornell University, the Hebrew University, the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and Florence, and Co¬lumbia, Stanford and Hong Kong Universities.
During his lectures he often made comments that suggested a strong self-concept. Credited as being the architect of the excellent reputations enjoyed by the politics departments at Keele and Manchester, he once said of himself: "I was a brilliant young man." Another illustrative remark was provided in one of his lectures when he said: "Politicians are not as clever as you or me—particularly me." Based on remarks of this nature, which became known as Finerisms, it is reasonable to suggest that modesty was not a strong component of his persona.
Samuel Finer has been characterized as being energetic and pas¬sionate about life and his academic pursuits. These traits were evi¬denced, not only by his writing and lecture posts, but in his four years (1965-69) service as chairman of the Political Studies Associa¬tion of the United Kingdom, and his nomination for vice president of the International Political Science Association.
Clearly, Samuel Finer was a brilliant scholar of virtually unlim¬ited potential. Perhaps this is an unfortunate label for anyone. If one is so classified, regardless of the quality and quantity of contribu¬tions to knowledge one makes, the criticism of unfulfilled promise seems to be inevitable. Indeed, Finer was the recipient of such com¬ments suggesting that, despite his impressive record of scholarship, he had not lived up to his promise. Nevertheless, the Social Science Citation Index provides a sufficient volume of entries for his works to justify his being considered a giant of post-war British political science. Indeed, he was referred to by The Guardian as an "intellec¬tual machine gun." His many works included: A Primer of Public Administration (1950), Life and Times of Sir Edward Chadwick (1952), Anonymous Empire (1958), Comparative Government (1970), Five Constitutions (1979), and Britain's Changing Party System (1980). At the time of his death he was completing a work on the definitive history of government through the ages.
Despite his recognition as a political scientist, he adamantly dis¬missed the idea of a pure political science. His substantial intellec¬tual diversity is illustrated by his emphasis on the importance of history in providing a basis for perspective, judgment, context, and knowledge. Further, he was significantly influenced sociologically by Vilfredo Pareto—to the point of having edited the volume Pareto: Sociological Writings, which was published in 1966. The Man on Horseback specifically reflects Pareto's influence on Finer in terms of social change, especially vis-a-vis the circulation of elites. Thus, his "political science" was broad and comparative in scope whereby he incorporated social economics and cultural factors. Further, a review of his published work reveals a philosophical shift from the political Left to the Right as he grew older. His thought reflects a rejection of Marxism and American behavioralism because he be¬lieved they tended to confuse conditions with causes. Finer empha¬sized two significant themes throughout his work: to constitutionalize the exercise of political power and not separate the study of institutions and ideas. Ultimately, his work can be seen as largely comparative—with an acute perception of linkages within data, and the construction of models and typologies.
Given his interests in multiple disciplines, it is not surprising that he would author a classic thesis on civil-military relations, a field of study that is clearly interdisciplinary. The student of civil-military relations has long recognized significant contributions from history, sociology, political science, and policy analysis.
As Feaver4 noted, with the publication of The Man on Horse¬back, Finer served as an intellectual leader of institutional examina¬tion of post-colonial civil-military relations in developing coun¬tries, focusing primarily on military coups. By virtue of his election of this pursuit, and with the publication of this book, he became a leader of the political science path and the earliest critic of Huntington's5 seminal work.6 Indeed, Huntington and Finer ad¬dressed the disposition of military institutions to perpetuate a coup.
In sum, his range of work is encyclopedic. His wide knowledge base, which incorporated so many academic disciplines, and his acknowledged familiarity with diverse methodologies, identify him as a seminal thinker from, what I would argue, was a more enriched period of scholarship.
THE TIME
Military intervention into the civil politics of the world has been a long-standing component of history. Engagement in the Cold War by military "superpowers"7 and the continued military coup attempts in less developed countries combined to make the late 1950s and early 1960s particularly appropriate for the appearance of Finer's work. The Man on Horseback was published originally in 1962. That year witnessed four unsuccessful military uprisings or revolts in Lebanon, Portugal, Turkey, and Venezuela. Additionally, 1962 saw three successful coups in Burma, Argentina, and Syria.8
In the preceding year, successful coups occurred in El Salvador and South Korea and Egyptian officials were driven out of Syria. Additional military interventions were observed in Algeria, Brazil, and Ecuador. These developments were but extensions of 1960 re¬volts registered in Turkey, Laos, El Salvador, Ethiopia, and the mu¬tiny of the Congolese Force Publique.9
During this brief illustrative interval, multiple uprisings were observed in Turkey and El Salvador, and all of these incidents oc¬curred in countries that would fall under the general category of developing or "Third World" countries. Subsequent comments will address Finer's
THE MAN ON HORSEBACK
-i-
Other Works by S. E. Finer
A Primer of Public Administration, 1950 Life and Times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (with Sir John Maud), 1952 Local Government in England and Wales, 1953 Anonymous Empire: A Study of the Lobby in Great Britain, 1958; second edition, revised and enlarged, 1966 Private Industry and Political Power, 1958 Backbench Opinion in the House of Commons (with D. F. Bartholomew and H. B. Berrington), 1961 Editor of:
E. Sieyès: What is the Third Estate?, 1963 Vilfredo Pareto: Sociological Writings (with Derick Mirfin), 1966
Introduction to the Transaction Edition1
THE opportunity offered to me by Professor Irving Horowitz to write the introduction for the reissuance of this civil-military relations volume was especially welcomed because of the additional expo¬sure Finer's work would be likely to receive. Despite being exten¬sively referenced within academic works, from my perspective, this work has never received the attention or recognition it deserves from the "general reader" for whom Finer said that he wrote, or the wider spectrum of military scholars for whom the work is clearly applicable. I see this work as a classic statement in civil-military relations, which continues lo hold considerable relevance to the contemporary student. Professor Horowitz's decision to reissue the book is insightful, and it is my hope that as a result, the work will serve as a stimulus to the interested student, and enjoy a much wider exposure than that which occurred during its initial release.
One option for the presentation of this introductory essay is to provide the reader a quick start by offering a brief biographical sketch, and a summary paragraph or two about Finer's thesis. The alternative is to present a more detailed account of Finer and his manuscript. I elected to pursue the latter with the idea of advancing a more complete skeletal portrait. Consequently, my objective is to offer some observations of Samuel Edward Finer, the man; the time period in which the work originally appeared; and the general the¬sis he advanced.
FINER, THE MAN
Samuel Finer,2 the youngest of six children, was born September 22, 1915 to Romanian immigrant parents in Islington, England. He died June 9, 1993 at the age of seventy-seven. As a child, he was informed early and often by his parents, especially his mother, that he was poor, Jewish, and would always have to work hard. Indeed, he spent his life pursuing this advice with diligent effort. His voluminous publication record, and reputation as an enormously respected lec-turer and professor, evolved from his eclectic scholarly reading that he was able to do within a variety of languages. Despite the meager means of his family, his early application of his intelligence enabled him to secure scholarships for his education at Trinity College, Ox¬ford.
The direction of his academic pursuits was influenced by his brother, Herman, eighteen years his senior.3 Herman Finer had also benefited from academic scholarships and became a respected po¬litical scientist. He served as a lecturer at the London School of Economics, and subsequently occupied the chair of the political science department at the University of Chicago. Observing the early success of his brother's academic efforts, Samuel declared, at the age of seven, that he wanted to be just like his brother Herman.
Following his graduation from Trinity, Samuel responded to England's involvement in World War II by serving six years in the Royal Signals, rising to the rank of Captain. After being discharged, he began his academic career on the faculty of Balliol College. This appointment was followed in 1950 by a professorship of political institutions at Keele, the first of Great Britain's post-war universi¬ties. In 1966 he became professor of government and public admin¬istration at Manchester University, and returned to Oxford in 1974, where he held the Gladstone Chair and Professorship of Government and Public Administration. At various times, and beyond these posi¬tions, Finer held visiting professorships at the Institute of Social Studies at the Hague, Cornell University, the Hebrew University, the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and Florence, and Co¬lumbia, Stanford and Hong Kong Universities.
During his lectures he often made comments that suggested a strong self-concept. Credited as being the architect of the excellent reputations enjoyed by the politics departments at Keele and Manchester, he once said of himself: "I was a brilliant young man." Another illustrative remark was provided in one of his lectures when he said: "Politicians are not as clever as you or me—particularly me." Based on remarks of this nature, which became known as Finerisms, it is reasonable to suggest that modesty was not a strong component of his persona.
Samuel Finer has been characterized as being energetic and pas¬sionate about life and his academic pursuits. These traits were evi¬denced, not only by his writing and lecture posts, but in his four years (1965-69) service as chairman of the Political Studies Associa¬tion of the United Kingdom, and his nomination for vice president of the International Political Science Association.
Clearly, Samuel Finer was a brilliant scholar of virtually unlim¬ited potential. Perhaps this is an unfortunate label for anyone. If one is so classified, regardless of the quality and quantity of contribu¬tions to knowledge one makes, the criticism of unfulfilled promise seems to be inevitable. Indeed, Finer was the recipient of such com¬ments suggesting that, despite his impressive record of scholarship, he had not lived up to his promise. Nevertheless, the Social Science Citation Index provides a sufficient volume of entries for his works to justify his being considered a giant of post-war British political science. Indeed, he was referred to by The Guardian as an "intellec¬tual machine gun." His many works included: A Primer of Public Administration (1950), Life and Times of Sir Edward Chadwick (1952), Anonymous Empire (1958), Comparative Government (1970), Five Constitutions (1979), and Britain's Changing Party System (1980). At the time of his death he was completing a work on the definitive history of government through the ages.
Despite his recognition as a political scientist, he adamantly dis¬missed the idea of a pure political science. His substantial intellec¬tual diversity is illustrated by his emphasis on the importance of history in providing a basis for perspective, judgment, context, and knowledge. Further, he was significantly influenced sociologically by Vilfredo Pareto—to the point of having edited the volume Pareto: Sociological Writings, which was published in 1966. The Man on Horseback specifically reflects Pareto's influence on Finer in terms of social change, especially vis-a-vis the circulation of elites. Thus, his "political science" was broad and comparative in scope whereby he incorporated social economics and cultural factors. Further, a review of his published work reveals a philosophical shift from the political Left to the Right as he grew older. His thought reflects a rejection of Marxism and American behavioralism because he be¬lieved they tended to confuse conditions with causes. Finer empha¬sized two significant themes throughout his work: to constitutionalize the exercise of political power and not separate the study of institutions and ideas. Ultimately, his work can be seen as largely comparative—with an acute perception of linkages within data, and the construction of models and typologies.
Given his interests in multiple disciplines, it is not surprising that he would author a classic thesis on civil-military relations, a field of study that is clearly interdisciplinary. The student of civil-military relations has long recognized significant contributions from history, sociology, political science, and policy analysis.
As Feaver4 noted, with the publication of The Man on Horse¬back, Finer served as an intellectual leader of institutional examina¬tion of post-colonial civil-military relations in developing coun¬tries, focusing primarily on military coups. By virtue of his election of this pursuit, and with the publication of this book, he became a leader of the political science path and the earliest critic of Huntington's5 seminal work.6 Indeed, Huntington and Finer ad¬dressed the disposition of military institutions to perpetuate a coup.
In sum, his range of work is encyclopedic. His wide knowledge base, which incorporated so many academic disciplines, and his acknowledged familiarity with diverse methodologies, identify him as a seminal thinker from, what I would argue, was a more enriched period of scholarship.
THE TIME
Military intervention into the civil politics of the world has been a long-standing component of history. Engagement in the Cold War by military "superpowers"7 and the continued military coup attempts in less developed countries combined to make the late 1950s and early 1960s particularly appropriate for the appearance of Finer's work. The Man on Horseback was published originally in 1962. That year witnessed four unsuccessful military uprisings or revolts in Lebanon, Portugal, Turkey, and Venezuela. Additionally, 1962 saw three successful coups in Burma, Argentina, and Syria.8
In the preceding year, successful coups occurred in El Salvador and South Korea and Egyptian officials were driven out of Syria. Additional military interventions were observed in Algeria, Brazil, and Ecuador. These developments were but extensions of 1960 re¬volts registered in Turkey, Laos, El Salvador, Ethiopia, and the mu¬tiny of the Congolese Force Publique.9
During this brief illustrative interval, multiple uprisings were observed in Turkey and El Salvador, and all of these incidents oc¬curred in countries that would fall under the general category of developing or "Third World" countries. Subsequent comments will address Finer's
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
