The growing isolation of elites means, among other things, that political ideologies are losing relevance to the concerns of ordinary citizens. Since political discussion, as a rule, remains an internal affair of the so-and aptly-called “speaking class,” it becomes increasingly closed in on itself and formalized. Ideas are launched and re-entered into circulation as buzzer words or as stimuli of conditioned reflexes. The old debate between left and right has exhausted its ability to clarify problematic topics and provide a credible map of reality. In some circles the very idea of reality has become dubious - perhaps because the speaking class lives in an artificial world where the situation of reality takes the place of the real things themselves.

Trans. from English / Translation by J. Smithee, K Golubovich. M.: Publishing house "Logos", Publishing house "Progress". 2002. – 224 pp.ISBN 5-8163-OO31-8Copyright © 1995 by the Estate of Christopher Lasch.© W. W. Norton & Company. New York – London.© Russian edition - Logos Publishing House (Moscow) (2002).