Bertrand Russell On Corporation Lawyers

Russell might have been a moral anarchist; but at times he was an insightful one.

Consider this passage from Page 91 of 'The History of Western Philosophy' -

"In many cities, however, and especially in Athens, the poorer citizens had towards the rich a double hostility, that of envy, and that of traditionalism. The rich were supposed - often with justice - to be impious and immoral; they were subverting ancient beliefs, and probably trying to destroy democracy. It thus happened that political democracy was associated with cultural conservatism, while those who were cultural innovators tended to be political reactionaries. Somewhat the same situation exists in modern America, where Tammany, as a mainly Catholic organisation, is engaged in defending traditional theological and ethical dogmas against the assaults of enlightenment. But the enlightened ae politically weaker in America than they were in Athens, because they have failed to make common cause with the plutocracy. There is, however, one important and highly intellectual class which is concerned with the defence of the plutocracy, namely the class of corporation lawyers. In some respects, their functions are similar to those that were performed in Athens by the Sophists"