Political myths and totalitarianism: an anthropological analysis of their causal interrelationship. 2014

Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini

This paper discusses the key political, anthropological and socio-cultural functions of political myths in the appearance and functioning of totalitarian regimes. A special emphasis is put on structural elements of the myth (mythemes) and the mythic content (narratives) in the processes of artificial construction of a new society (community) based on the myth-inspired ideological postulates. The paper argues that the establishment of totalitarianism marked a certain anthropological devolution. This devolution, in turn, proceeds through the deconstruction of civil society as an organic social sphere and the artificial construction of a new political community based on ideological postulates and political myths. In support of this assertion, it is first shown how the mythical narratives--transformed into political concepts and programs--were the basis of (re)interpretation of the world, society and individual, and essentially determined the nature and functioning of the totalitarian regimes. Then, the specific political myths are analyzed and compared, as well as their content and origin, and particularly their dual function. It in turn is analyzed in the framework of the classical society-community dichotomy, where the (civil) society is founded socio-politically on the social contract, and the (political) community socio-anthropologically on political myth. In a situation of identity and legitimacy crisis, anomie and the weakening of social cohesion--the characteristic conditions of the great economic and political crisis of the early twentieth century that enabled the emergence of totalitarianism--society as a contracting community does not work. A strong need for meaning (at the individual and societal level) affects the citizens' susceptibility to (political) concepts of (re)constitution of (political) community with which they can identify. Right there, totalitarian movements use the cohesive power of the political myth that replaces the rationally based constitution of society, and becomes a means of ideological mystification and political manipulation. Affecting the mind of the citizens, it moves their feelings and motivations and directs their behavior toward the goals of the totalitarian political power. Recent iterations of totalitarianism (Great-Serbian aggression), with the same tragic consequences, were a warning on the actuality of political myths and the danger of a resurgence of totalitarian tendencies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011057 Politics Activities concerned with governmental policies, functions, etc. Political Activity,Conservatism,Decentralization,Liberalism,Political Factors,Activities, Political,Activity, Political,Factor, Political,Factors, Political,Political Activities,Political Factor
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000883 Anthropology The science devoted to the comparative study of man.
D015984 Causality The relating of causes to the effects they produce. Causes are termed necessary when they must always precede an effect and sufficient when they initiate or produce an effect. Any of several factors may be associated with the potential disease causation or outcome, including predisposing factors, enabling factors, precipitating factors, reinforcing factors, and risk factors. Causation,Enabling Factors,Multifactorial Causality,Multiple Causation,Predisposing Factors,Reinforcing Factors,Causalities,Causalities, Multifactorial,Causality, Multifactorial,Causation, Multiple,Causations,Causations, Multiple,Enabling Factor,Factor, Enabling,Factor, Predisposing,Factor, Reinforcing,Factors, Enabling,Factors, Predisposing,Factors, Reinforcing,Multifactorial Causalities,Multiple Causations,Predisposing Factor,Reinforcing Factor

Related Publications

Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
September 1989, The New Zealand medical journal,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
August 1967, Psychiatry,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
August 1967, Psychiatry,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
January 2020, Society,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
January 1984, Pediatric nursing,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
January 1997, Journal of homosexuality,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
December 1967, Psyche,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
February 1991, The Journal of social psychology,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
January 2018, Revue medicale de Bruxelles,
Niksa Svilicić, and Pero Maldini
April 1951, The Eugenics review,
Copied contents to your clipboard!