Totalitarianism

Definition and meaning of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism - [Government]

Totalitarianism is a type of government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of its citizens, often resorting to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Fidel Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism - [Government]

Totalitarianism is a type of government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of its citizens, often resorting to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Fidel Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

In the social sciences, the approach of Friedrich and Brzezinski came under criticism from scholars who argued that the Soviet system, both as a political and a social entity, was in fact better understood in terms of interest groups, competing elites, or even in class terms (using the concept of the nomenklatura as a vehicle for a new ruling class). These critics pointed to evidence of popular support for the regime and widespread dispersion of power, at least in the implementation of policy, among sectoral and regional authorities. ...

See also:

Totalitarianism, Totalitarianism - Origins of the term, Totalitarianism - Cold War-era research, Totalitarianism - Criticism and recent work with the concept, Totalitarianism - Political usage

Read more here: » Totalitarianism: Encyclopedia II - Totalitarianism - Criticism and recent work with the concept

Since the fall of the Nazi regime, many theorists have argued that there are similarities between the government of Nazi Germany and that of Stalin's Soviet Union. In most cases this has taken the form of arguing that both Nazism and Stalinism are forms of totalitarianism. They condemn both groups as dictatorships and totalitarian police states. They argue that communist states have had much in common with fascist states, in matters ranging from militarism to censorship. In addition, both Hitler and Stalin committed mass murder of their coun ...

See also:

Fascism and ideology, Fascism and ideology - Fascism, Fascism and ideology - Fascism and the political spectrum, Fascism and ideology - Fascism and totalitarianism, Fascism and ideology - Fascism Nazism socialism collectivism and corporatism, Fascism and ideology - Critique by the Austrian School, Fascism and ideology - Response to Austrian School, Fascism and ideology - Collectivism and corporatism, Fascism and ideology - Fascism & the United States Welfare State, Fascism and ideology - Historic view from the Right, Fascism and ideology - Quotes, Fascism and ideology - Fascism and Conservatism, Fascism and ideology - Fascism and police state regimes, Fascism and ideology - Neo-Fascism, Fascism and ideology - General bibliography, Fascism and ideology - Bibliography on Fascist ideology, Fascism and ideology - Bibliography on international fascism

Read more here: » Fascism and ideology: Encyclopedia II - Fascism and ideology - Fascism and totalitarianism

In the mid-20th century, liberalism began to define itself in opposition to totalitarianism. The term was first used by Giovanni Gentile to describe the socio-political system set up by Mussolini. Stalin would apply it to German Nazi-ism, and after the war it became a descriptive term for the common characteristics of fascist and Marxist-Leninist regimes. Totalitarian regimes sought and tried to implement absolute centralized control over all aspects of society, in order to achieve prosperity and stability. Such governments often justified s ...

See also:

Classical liberalism, Classical liberalism - Introduction, Classical liberalism - Origins, Classical liberalism - Classical liberal philosophy, Classical liberalism - Liberalism and the great depression, Classical liberalism - Liberalism against totalitarianism, Classical liberalism - Classical liberalism versus 'modern' or social liberalism

Read more here: » Classical liberalism: Encyclopedia II - Classical liberalism - Liberalism against totalitarianism

In 1980s the genre called fantastyka sociologiczna (social speculative fiction) arose in Poland, focusing on the development of societies, generally dominated by totalitarian governments. It was in some sense a reaction to communist rule and was common among science fiction writers like Janusz A. Zajdel (Limes Inferior, Paradyzja) or Edmund Wnuk-Lipinski (Apostezjon trilogy). Books from that genre were based in different times (usually in future), and usually were pretext for analysing structures of the described ...

See also:

Social science fiction, Social science fiction - Social science fiction in English, Social science fiction - Genre in Poland in 1980s and examination of totalitarianism, Social science fiction - Examples of social science fiction from the 1940s

Read more here: » Social science fiction: Encyclopedia II - Social science fiction - Genre in Poland in 1980s and examination of totalitarianism

In democratic politics, pluralism is a guiding principle which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions and lifestyles. Unlike totalitarianism or particularism, pluralism acknowledges the diversity of interests and considers it legitimate for members of society to work for their realization, to represent them and to articulate them in a process of conflict and dialogue. In political philosophy, those who embrace pluralism are often described as liberals, while those who take up a more critical attitude towards the diversity o ...

See also:

Pluralism, Pluralism - Pluralism in politics, Pluralism - Pluralism and the common good, Pluralism - Conditions for pluralism, Pluralism - Pluralism and Subsidiarity, Pluralism - Pluralism in the scientific community, Pluralism - Pluralism in philosophy

Read more here: » Pluralism: Encyclopedia II - Pluralism - Pluralism in politics

Orwell's political views changed over time, but there can be no doubt that he was a man of the left throughout his life as a writer. His time in Burma made him a staunch opponent of imperialism, and his experience of poverty while researching Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier turned him into a socialist. "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic ...

See also:

George Orwell, George Orwell - Early life, George Orwell - Education, George Orwell - Burma and the early novels, George Orwell - The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell - The Spanish Civil War and Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell - The second world war and Animal Farm, George Orwell - The road to Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell - Political views, George Orwell - Legacy, George Orwell - Work, George Orwell - Influence on the English language, George Orwell - Literary influences, George Orwell - Trivia, George Orwell - Books, George Orwell - Essays, George Orwell - Poems, George Orwell - Books about George Orwell

Read more here: » George Orwell: Encyclopedia II - George Orwell - Political views

Assad speaks fluent English and French, having studied at the Franco-Arab al-Hurriyet elite school in Damascus (the Syrian capital), before going on to medical school there at the University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine. He then went on to get a subspeciality training in the field of ophthalmology in London's academic hospitals. He is married to Asma' al-Akhras, a Syrian Sunni Muslim whom he met in Great Britain. The al-Assad family are members of the minority muslim Alawite group, and members of that group have been prominent in t ...

See also:

Bashar al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad - Personal, Bashar al-Assad - Foreign relations, Bashar al-Assad - Internal power struggle, Bashar al-Assad - 2005 Lebanon crisis, Bashar al-Assad - Family

Read more here: » Bashar al-Assad: Encyclopedia II - Bashar al-Assad - Personal

This compound word is better comprehended by those who speak other languages by listing its predecessory uses in German. The word gleich in German means alike, equal, or the same; schaltung means something like switching. The word Gleichschaltung had two uses in German for physical, rather than political, meanings: A locking clutch; manual clutches on cars usually do not press the plates one against each other, so they lose about three percent of power; some race cars use locking clutche ...

See also:

Gleichschaltung, Gleichschaltung - Specific measures, Gleichschaltung - Legislation, Gleichschaltung - Related articles, Gleichschaltung - Philology, Gleichschaltung - Sources; further reading

Read more here: » Gleichschaltung: Encyclopedia II - Gleichschaltung - Philology

Debated during the Warring States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was chosen by Han Wudi for use as a political system to govern the Chinese state. Despite its loss of influence during the Tang Dynasty, Confucianist doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a feudal system and an obstacle to China's modernization, eventually culminating in its repression and vilification during the Cultural ...

Including:

• Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism
• Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism
• Confucianism - Rites
• Confucianism - Governing
• Confucianism - Meritocracy
• Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought
• Confucianism - Ritual
• Confucianism - Relationships
• Confucianism - Humaneness
• Confucianism - The perfect gentleman
• Confucianism - Debates
• Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?
• Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?
• Confucianism - The Script controversy
• Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?
• Confucianism - Names for Confucianism
• Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought
• Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism
• Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia - Confucianism

Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Nature vs. society. Rousseau saw a fundamental divide between society and human nature. Rousseau contended that man was good by nature, a "noble savage" when in the state of nature (the state of all the "other animals", and the condition humankind was in before the creation of civilization and society), but is corrupted by society. He viewed society as artificial and held that the development of society, especially the growth of social inter ...

See also:

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Biography of Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Philosophy of Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Nature vs. society, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Political theory, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Education, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Religion, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Legacy, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Notes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Major works, Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Online texts

Read more here: » Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Encyclopedia II - Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Philosophy of Rousseau

Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the monarch from some acts and the sovereign is expected to act according to custom. There is no constitution or body of law above what is decreed by the sovereign. As a theory of civics, absolute monarchy puts total trust in well-bred a ...

Including:

• Absolute monarchy - Theories and History
• Absolute monarchy - Divine Rights
• Absolute monarchy - Thomas Hobbes
• Absolute monarchy - Enlightened Despotism
• Absolute monarchy - Modern examples
• Absolute monarchy - Examples in the Past

Read more here: » Absolute monarchy: Encyclopedia - Absolute monarchy

Main article: Geography of Syria Syria consists mostly of arid plateau, although the northwest part of the country bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east. It is considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity". Major cities include the capital Damascus in the southwest, Aleppo in the north, and Homs. Most of the other important cities are located along the coast line. ...

See also:

Syria, Syria - Name, Syria - History, Syria - French occupation, Syria - Independence to 1970, Syria - 1970 to 2005, Syria - 2000 to 2005, Syria - The events from 2005, Syria - Politics, Syria - Government, Syria - Governorates, Syria - Geography, Syria - Economy, Syria - Demographics, Syria - Culture, Syria - Holidays, Syria - Fairs and festivals, Syria - Miscellaneous topics

Read more here: » Syria: Encyclopedia II - Syria - Geography

At the age of six, Blair was sent to a small Anglican parish school in Henley-on-Thames, which his sister had attended before him. He never wrote of his recollections of it, but he must have impressed the teachers very favourably, for two years later he was recommended to the headmaster of one of the most successful preparatory schools in England at the time: St Cyprian's School, in Eastbourne, Sussex. Blair attended St Cyprian's on a scholarship that allowed his parents to pay only half of the usual fees. Many years later, he would recall h ...

See also:

George Orwell, George Orwell - Early life, George Orwell - Education, George Orwell - Burma and the early novels, George Orwell - The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell - The Spanish Civil War and Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell - The second world war and Animal Farm, George Orwell - The road to Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell - Political views, George Orwell - Legacy, George Orwell - Work, George Orwell - Influence on the English language, George Orwell - Literary influences, George Orwell - Trivia, George Orwell - Books, George Orwell - Essays, George Orwell - Poems, George Orwell - Books about George Orwell

Read more here: » George Orwell: Encyclopedia II - George Orwell - Education

Censorship is the control of speech and other forms of human expression, often by government intervention. It is most commonly applied to acts which occur in public circumstances, and most formally involves suppression of ideas (by criminalizing or regulating expression). Discussion of censorship often further considers less formal means of controlling perceptions by excluding various ideas from mass communication. What is censored may range from specific words to entire concepts. The ostensible motive of censorship is to stabilize or improve t ...

Including:

• Censorship - Censorship Types
• Censorship - State secrets and unwanted attention
• Censorship - School textbooks
• Censorship - Terms
• Censorship - Implementation
• Censorship - Prevention and bypassing
• Censorship - Censorship around the world
• Censorship - Censorship of Media
• Censorship - Other types of censorship

Read more here: » Censorship: Encyclopedia - Censorship

By category Medieval 16th Century - 17th Century 18th Century -19th Century 20th Century - Contemporary Chronological list Writers by category Novelists - Playwrights Poets - Essayists Short Story Writers Jean-Jacques Rousseau (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778) was a Franco-Swiss philosopher, writer, political theorist, and self-taught composer of The Age of Enlightenment. Rousseau's political ideas influenced the French Revolution, the development of socialist theory, ...

Including:

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Biography of Rousseau
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Philosophy of Rousseau
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Nature vs. society
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Political theory
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Education
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Religion
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Legacy
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Notes
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Major works
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Online texts

Read more here: » Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Encyclopedia - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Statism is a term that is used in a variety of disciplines (economics, sociology, education policy etc) to describe a system that involves a significant interventionist role for the state in economic or social affairs. In social sciences it can also refer to the mere existence of states, particularly in relation to discussions of nationalism, modernity and globalization. Anarchists also often use the word in this sense. In economics, the term "statism" refers to any economy where the state plans or coordinates the economy, or t ...

Including:

• Statism - Usage in relation to other concepts
• Statism - Discussion on the morality of statism

Read more here: » Statism: Encyclopedia - Statism

Collective Security is a system aspiring to the maintenance of peace, in which participants agree that any "breach of the peace is to be declared to be of concern to all the participating states," 1 and will result in a collective response. This began in 1918 after the international balance of power was perceived by many nations to be no longer working correctly. The lines between what is considered "collective defense" and "collective security" have been blurred. The con ...

Including:

• Collective security - See Also

Read more here: » Collective security: Encyclopedia - Collective security

An absolute monarch is one who has total control over his or her country and who claims that they rule by divine right. In order to be a successful absolute monarch, one must keep one’s threats far away and out of power, so as to ensure full political control. In addition, a monarch must have complete control over the religious groups of the country. This has been dictated by the past, as the rulers who follow these guidelines have prospered and maintained their power while those who didn’t were overthrown or killed. Charles the First, L ...

See also:

Absolute monarchy, Absolute monarchy - Modern examples, Absolute monarchy - Theories and History, Absolute monarchy - Historical Examples

Read more here: » Absolute monarchy: Encyclopedia II - Absolute monarchy - Historical Examples