Esparta (2)

The principles of Spartan policy were these. (1) Proteccion of its arrested tribalism: shut all foreign influences which might endanger the rigidity of tribal taboos.— (2) Anti-humanitarism: shut out, more especially, all equalitarian, democratic, and individualistic ideologies.— (3) Autarky: be independent of trade.— (4) Anti-universalismm or particularism: uphold the differentiation between your tribe and all the others; do not mix with inferiors.— (5) Mastery: dominate anda enslave your neighbours.— (6) But do not become too large; 'The city should grow only as long as it can do so without impairing its unity', anda especially without risking the introduction of universalistic tendencies.— If we compare these six principal tendencies with those of modern totalitarism, then we see that they agree fundamentally, with the sole exception of the last. The difference can be described by saying that modern totalitarism appears to have imperialist tendencies.

Karl Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies