Jacques de Kadt
Encyclopedia
Jacques de Kadt was a prominent and often controversial 20th Century Dutch
political thinker, politician and man of letters. Born into a liberal Jewish family, he was the youngest son of a factory manager, Roelof de Kadt, and his wife Bertha Koppens. Author of numerous books and articles, his most important and influential work was, arguably, his remarkably prescient book Het fascisme en de nieuwe vrijheid (Fascism and the New Freedom) which was published in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.
. He joined the Dutch Communist Party, soon only to become disenchanted with it and, especially, with the political developments in the Soviet Union
. In consequence, he left the Communist Party of Holland in 1924. He subsequently chronicled his embrace of, and break with, Communism
in the first volume of his autobiography, Uit mijn communistentijd, published in Amsterdam in 1965 by his loyal publisher, G.A. van Oorschot. De Kadt developed into a trenchant and increasingly uncompromising critic of Stalinism
, and articulated an independent line of socialist thought and political practice. This was expressed both in the content of his first major book, From Tsarism to Stalinism published in 1935 in Antwerp,and in his pivotal role in the formation of the Independent Socialist Party (Netherlands)
(OSP). The book, which identified a continuity between the character of the Tsarist state and the Soviet political system under Stalin, contained an intimation of de Kadt's broader critique of twentieth century totalitarianism
- a critique which was to define the nature of his subsequent political career.
and Stalinism
but included a major study of Georges Sorel
, and numerous articles on notable (and not so well known) political and literary figures. de Kadt was a prodigiously productive - if often acerbic and polemical - writer who, at his best, was a writer of great elegance and style. Bart Tromp, an editor of a posthumously published collection of essays, referred to him as 'an Orwell
of Oss'. De Kadt's analysis of Fascism, in what was arguably his finest book, was uncannily perceptive and prescient and stands to this day as one of the truly outstanding accounts. In this book, de Kadt predicts the coming of the Second World War, the ultimate defeat of Fascism and the emergence of the United States of America and the Soviet Union as the dominant global powers. Beyond the predictively accurate analysis of Fascism and its limitations, the book contains a normative defence of 'western civilization' and its scientific underpinning - perhaps best expressed by Max Eastman
's notion of 'affirmative scepticism'. The book served as one source of inspiration for H.Floris Cohen's masterful 1994 historiographical exploration of the 'scientific revolution'.
Pels, D. (1993) Het democratisch verschil. Jacques de Kadt en de nieuwe elite
Cohen, H. Floris (1994) The Scientific Revolution: A Historiographical Inquiry, Chicago, Chicago University Press
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
political thinker, politician and man of letters. Born into a liberal Jewish family, he was the youngest son of a factory manager, Roelof de Kadt, and his wife Bertha Koppens. Author of numerous books and articles, his most important and influential work was, arguably, his remarkably prescient book Het fascisme en de nieuwe vrijheid (Fascism and the New Freedom) which was published in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Early career
De Kadt's early political career was shaped, in part, by the influence of Rosa LuxemburgRosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
. He joined the Dutch Communist Party, soon only to become disenchanted with it and, especially, with the political developments in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In consequence, he left the Communist Party of Holland in 1924. He subsequently chronicled his embrace of, and break with, Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in the first volume of his autobiography, Uit mijn communistentijd, published in Amsterdam in 1965 by his loyal publisher, G.A. van Oorschot. De Kadt developed into a trenchant and increasingly uncompromising critic of Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, and articulated an independent line of socialist thought and political practice. This was expressed both in the content of his first major book, From Tsarism to Stalinism published in 1935 in Antwerp,and in his pivotal role in the formation of the Independent Socialist Party (Netherlands)
Independent Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Independent Socialist Party was a revolutionary socialist political party in the Netherlands.-History:...
(OSP). The book, which identified a continuity between the character of the Tsarist state and the Soviet political system under Stalin, contained an intimation of de Kadt's broader critique of twentieth century totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
- a critique which was to define the nature of his subsequent political career.
Fascism
The 1930s marked a significant period in the maturation of de Kadt's thought.He published widely on the major political developments of the time as well as on cultural, literary and philosophical topics. His writings addressed not only the threat posed by FascismFascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
but included a major study of Georges Sorel
Georges Sorel
Georges Eugène Sorel was a French philosopher and theorist of revolutionary syndicalism. His notion of the power of myth in people's lives inspired Marxists and Fascists. It is, together with his defense of violence, the contribution for which he is most often remembered. Oron J...
, and numerous articles on notable (and not so well known) political and literary figures. de Kadt was a prodigiously productive - if often acerbic and polemical - writer who, at his best, was a writer of great elegance and style. Bart Tromp, an editor of a posthumously published collection of essays, referred to him as 'an Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
of Oss'. De Kadt's analysis of Fascism, in what was arguably his finest book, was uncannily perceptive and prescient and stands to this day as one of the truly outstanding accounts. In this book, de Kadt predicts the coming of the Second World War, the ultimate defeat of Fascism and the emergence of the United States of America and the Soviet Union as the dominant global powers. Beyond the predictively accurate analysis of Fascism and its limitations, the book contains a normative defence of 'western civilization' and its scientific underpinning - perhaps best expressed by Max Eastman
Max Eastman
Max Forrester Eastman was an American writer on literature, philosophy and society, a poet, and a prominent political activist. For many years, Eastman was a supporter of socialism, a leading patron of the Harlem Renaissance and an activist for a number of liberal and radical causes...
's notion of 'affirmative scepticism'. The book served as one source of inspiration for H.Floris Cohen's masterful 1994 historiographical exploration of the 'scientific revolution'.
Parliamentary career
De Kadt was a Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid) member of the Dutch parliament from 1948 to 1963. He served for many years as the party's principal spokesman on foreign affairs, though his outspoken stance on Indonesian independence (of which he was a vigorous early protagonist) and his sharp, unqualified, opposition to Stalinism and the Soviet system ruled him out as a contender for the Ministerial position that was held by Joseph Luns. De Kadt was a regular radio commentator during these years. His contribution to Dutch public life and service was recognized in 1959 when he was awarded a knighthood, becoming a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.Bibliographical references
Havenaar, R. (1990) De tocht naar het onbekende - Het politieke denken van Jacques de KadtPels, D. (1993) Het democratisch verschil. Jacques de Kadt en de nieuwe elite
Cohen, H. Floris (1994) The Scientific Revolution: A Historiographical Inquiry, Chicago, Chicago University Press
External links
- http://www.iisg.nl/bwsa/bios/kadt.html
- http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/BWN/lemmata/bwn4/kadt
- http://www.parlement.com/9291000/biof/00667
- http://www.vanoorschot.nl/?isbn=9789028240124
- http://www.schrijversinfo.nl/kadtdejacques.html
- http://www.dbnl.org/auteurs/auteur.php?id=kadt001