The Mind and Society

The Mind and Society (1916) is the English title of the seminal Italian sociological work Trattato di Sociologia Generale by sociologist and economist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923).

In this book Pareto presents the first sociological cycle theory, centered on the concept of an elite social class.

Pareto divided the elite class into two groups: the conservative defenders of the status quo (violent 'lions'), and the radical promoters of change (cunning 'foxes'). In his view of society, the power constantly passes from 'foxes' to 'lions' and vice versa.

The Mind and Society has been named one of the most influential books ever written by Martin Seymour-Smith. The English edition was published in 1935.