Original scientific paper

Apocalyptic Elements and Fear in Totalitarian Regimes

Ana Martinjak Ratej ; Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

The contribution of this paper is the examination of the apocalyptic elements found in ideology and actions of totalitarian regimes. Through this examination I demonstrate how totalitarian regimes differ from other similar political regimes. While writing this paper, I initially examined which apocalyptic elements could be found in totalitarian regimes, and if they corresponded to the assumption that totalitarianism is a new phenomenon in the political field. This assumption is an already well-known claim of some political theorists, philosophers and historians. Among them, Hannah Arendt in "Origins of Totalitarianism" claims that totalitarianism is a new political regime which did not exist in the past. I found that apocalyptic elements in totalitarian regimes support conclusions about their specific nature, but at the same time I note that this approach excludes many other insights about totalitarian regimes as well as the historical positioning of those regimes. For a clearer and more detailed examination of totalitarian regime a different approach would be required. Totalitarian regimes destroy the present world, create a new world, downgrade completely the human person to the level of an instrument used solely for preserving the system.

Keywords

totalitarian regimes; apocalypse; Hannah Arendt; Nazism; Communism; ideology; judgment; fear; punishment

Hrčak ID:

100384

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/100384

Publication date:

3.12.2012.

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