The Fascist Philosopher Behind Vladimir Putin’s Information Warfare
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is widely regarded as one of the most influential and powerful leaders in the world. He has been in power for more than two decades, and has shown no signs of relinquishing it. He has also been accused of interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries, especially the United States, through various means of information warfare, such as cyberattacks, propaganda, and disinformation.
But what are the ideological roots of Putin’s political vision and strategy? What kind of worldview does he subscribe to, and how does it shape his actions and goals? To answer these questions, we need to look at the writings of a Russian philosopher who died more than 60 years ago, but whose ideas have been revived and celebrated by Putin and his allies: Ivan Ilyin.
Who was Ivan Ilyin?
Ivan Ilyin was born in 1883 in Moscow, to an aristocratic family. He studied law and philosophy at Moscow State University, where he became influenced by the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. He was also a devout Orthodox Christian, and a staunch monarchist. He opposed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and joined the White movement, which fought against the communist regime in the Russian Civil War. In 1922, he was among the 160 intellectuals who were expelled from Soviet Russia by Lenin, on board the so-called “philosopher’s ship”.
Ilyin settled in Germany, where he continued to write and lecture on political and religious topics. He became a fascist, and supported the Nazi regime, although he later criticized some of its policies and practices. He also developed a personal hatred for Jews, whom he blamed for the downfall of Russia and the rise of communism. He wrote over 40 books and hundreds of articles, mostly in Russian and German, in which he expressed his views on the nature of the state, law, power, history, and morality. He died in 1954 in Switzerland, where he had moved after World War II.
What were Ilyin’s main ideas?
Ilyin’s philosophy was based on three core principles, which he derived from his interpretation of Hegel and Orthodox Christianity. These were:
Freedom as knowing your place in society. Ilyin rejected the idea of individual rights and liberties, and argued that true freedom meant accepting and fulfilling your predetermined role in a hierarchical and organic social order, which he compared to a human body. He believed that each person had a specific function and duty, according to their class, profession, gender, and nationality. He also believed that Russia had a special mission and destiny in the world, as the bearer of Orthodox faith and culture, and the defender of Christian civilization against the forces of evil and chaos.
Democracy as a ritual of collective support for a leader. Ilyin dismissed the idea of popular sovereignty and representative government, and claimed that democracy was a sham and a fraud. He maintained that the only legitimate source of authority was a charismatic and heroic leader, who emerged from the depths of the national spirit, and embodied the will and interests of the people. He argued that the role of the masses was to follow and obey the leader, and to express their loyalty and devotion through periodic rituals of voting, which had no real effect on the political outcome, but served as a symbolic affirmation of the leader’s legitimacy.
The factual world as irrelevant and unreal. Ilyin denied the existence and importance of objective facts and empirical evidence, and asserted that the only truth was the subjective and emotional truth of the national myth and identity. He claimed that God had created the world, but that it was a mistake, and that the world was a horrifying and chaotic place, full of contradictions and conflicts. He argued that the only way to overcome the horror of the world was to create a new reality, based on the spiritual and moral values of the nation, and to impose it on the rest of the world by force if necessary. How did Putin adopt and apply Ilyin’s ideas? Putin, who has been in power since 1999, has shown a great admiration and respect for Ilyin, and has quoted and recommended his works on several occasions. He has also overseen the repatriation of Ilyin’s remains from Switzerland to Russia in 2005, and the erection of a monument in his honor in Moscow in 2019. Putin has also surrounded himself with advisers and allies who share Ilyin’s views, such as Alexander Dugin, the founder of the Eurasianist movement, and Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Putin has also implemented and pursued policies and strategies that reflect Ilyin’s philosophy, such as:
Restoring and strengthening the authoritarian and paternalistic rule of the state, and suppressing any opposition or dissent. Putin has consolidated his power by eliminating or co-opting his rivals, controlling the media and the judiciary, manipulating the constitution and the electoral system, and creating a cult of personality around himself. He has also promoted a conservative and nationalist ideology, based on Orthodox Christianity, traditional values, and anti-Western sentiment. Expanding and defending Russia’s influence and interests in the region and the world, and challenging the liberal and democratic order. Putin has intervened militarily and politically in several countries, such as Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, and Libya, and has supported authoritarian and populist regimes and movements in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He has also engaged in information warfare, using cyberattacks, propaganda, and disinformation to undermine the credibility and stability of his adversaries, and to sow confusion and division among their populations.
In conclusion, knowing the intellectual background of the Russian information warfare helps us understand this threat to democracy. Obviously Ivan Ilyin is wrong on many point, however Vladimir Putin and his cronies seem to be more than happy to adopt his intellectual framework as it suits their objective of staying in power and not being accountable to the Russian people.
