Q.4) Discuss Hannah Arendt’s analysis of the role of ideology in modern totalitarian regimes.

The aim of totalitarian education has never been to instill convictions but to destroy the capacity to form any.
                                                                                  —Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt is a German Jewish philosopher who fled persecution in Nazi Germany. She analyses the role of ideology and terror in the establishment and perpetuation of modern totalitarian regimes in her book The Origins of Totalitarianism.

Ideologies are a set of ideas they are mainly categorised into

• Political ideology

Political ideologies shape the political reality of their followers. It exults them to action in order to achieve a predetermined objective.

• Worldview ideology

They dwell into the nature of human existence, the purpose of life, structural system of society and governments.

Arendt has analysed the Fascist Regime of Germany and Communist Regime of Soviet Union. She was concerned how the classes could be mass mobilised and convinced by such oppressive regimes.

Nazi Germany emphasis on ideologies such as

• Supremacy of nationalism
• Aryan Supremacy theory dominance revolution was used to suggest that Aryans were the end product of natural succession and were destined to rule all over the world
• Hegelian idolism as state as March of God on earth
• Nietzsche’s  Superman theory and Plato’s philosopher king theory were used to demand complete and blind obedience to the ruler

Hannah Arendt distinguishes between totalitarian and autocratic regimes. Autocratic regimes aim at capturing political power and sniffling out in any opposition. Totalitarian regimes apart for controlling the entire state apparatus seek to control all aspects of citizens life-public as well as private. The political social and economic activities of all the citizens are to be directed towards the achievement of goals which has set by the state. Normal have the right to question this goal or propose an alternative goal.

Hannah Arendt conclude the causes of establishment of Nazism in Germany as

• Antisemitic  ideology  

Prevailing social and economic circumstances of Jews were used to incite anti-semitism.

Hitler blamed the Jews  not only for the current ills plaguing  Germany but also for the historical failures. He felt that the Jews had let down Germany and led to his defeat in World War I.

• Imperialistic ideology

Imperialism was justified on the basis of racial Supremacy.  The western nations prided themselves and advanced Civilization given a natural right to rule over colonies. Thus the notion of racial Supremacy came to be widely accepted as a part of existence.

• Alienation of the  citizens

The scare of communist takeover and the inability of capitalism to provide for basic needs fragmented society and affected normal life. Poverty and unemployment was prevalent.

The social and economic insecurities of the citizen had caused a sense of fear. Nazi is exploited this and promised a stable and secure future under a strong leader.

Communist Russia used the Marxian emphasis on control over the means of production to perpetuate totalitarian control. The communist propagated the view that only the Communist Party what the guarantor of communism, which was to be protected by all means.  Vladimir Lenin had envisaged the Communist Party to be the vanguard  of establishment of dictatorship of proletariat.

Thus of totalitarian regimes use complete ideological domination in political social economic spheres not only to legitimize their rule but also to propagate and retain their vision.