What do we know about populism? Perhaps we should deepen our knowledge? After reading this article, you will surely find something new for yourself.
So, populism is a socio-political movement of a certain layer of the intelligentsia, as well as an ideological doctrine in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th - early. 20 centuries. The goal of the proponents of this trend was to develop a national model of non-capitalist evolution and the gradual adaptation of the population to the conditions of ongoing modernization. Populism is a system of ideas that dominated mainly in countries with a predominant agricultural economy during the transition to the industrial stage of development (except for Russia, it was Poland, as well as Ukraine, the countries of the Caucasus and the Baltic states).
At present, there is an opinion in science that its representatives appealed to the masses, guided not only by the political expediency of the immediate liquidation of the autocracy (this was the goal of the revolutionary movement in those days), but also by the internal need for rapprochement between two cultures - the popular and educated class. Populism is a form of utopian socialism along with certain projects for reforming many spheres of state life. The spread of this phenomenon contributed to the unity of the nation by removing class distinctions and formed the prerequisites for creating a single legal society for representatives of all its layers.
The ancestors of populism
They became Herzen and Chernyshevsky. But the first signs can already be found in the works of A. N. Radishchev, A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol and A. Ya. Chaadayev, who in their works showed great interest in social problems, "the truth of life." It is from here that Narodism in Russia originates.
Herzen
In 1830, Herzen became interested in Hegelianism, he believed that the main thing in social progress should be the prospect of personal development, and overcoming social and spiritual despotism over it. However, disappointed in the development of Europe, he believed in our country, in populism in Russia. Herzen saw her future in the transformation of property relations, which should be based on solidarity and mutual assistance of members of society. He found all these currents of Narodism in the community. Herzen appreciated the moral character of the peasants in Russia, placed their "natural" collectivism far above the individualistic aspirations of Europeans. The principles formulated by him formed the basis of the concept of the original "Russian socialism."
Chernyshevsky
Chernyshevsky, on the contrary, was keen on “Westernism,” and his idea of social progress was based on a belief in the universality of socio-economic development, as well as the commonality of European and Russian development paths. Unlike the peaceful Herzenian concept of "non-revolutionary socialism," he did not rule out the solution of social issues by violent means. Chernyshevsky was well aware of the need for a long educational and political work among the people to solve his basic social problems. This public figure promoted the idea of freeing the peasants from the land without any ransom, eliminating bureaucracy, bribery, reforming the state apparatus, organizing local self-government, convening an all-representative representative institution and establishing constitutional order. Many of the domestic radicals found in his writings by no means calls for lengthy propaganda work, but the idea of revolutionary transformations of the country.
These two approaches - moderate (liberal) and radical (revolutionary) Narodism became the cause of the emergence of two currents. The direction of the mid-1850s and until 1881 is considered revolutionary. After the assassination of Emperor Alexander II (March 1, 1881) and until the beginning of the 20th century, the liberal approach was most widespread.
Populism is a special cultural phenomenon
The origin of Narodism is connected with the history of the formation of the intelligentsia in Russia. The idea of compassion for human unrighteousness (Berdyaev) colored the whole system of social consciousness of our country in the second half of the 19th century. The ideology of Narodism tried to combine the elements of Westernism and Slavophilism. Their views - the non-capitalist path of development, the transition to socialism with the preservation of the collectivism of the rural community - have become a separate and significant phenomenon of Russian philosophy and culture. This system of ideas as a whole contained elements of the active development of reality, despite Utopianism. The moral ideal is based on faith in Morality and Goodness, which can change the world for the better. The Narodniks did not believe in God, they were convinced atheists, nevertheless, the concepts of "socialism" and "Christian values" coexisted in their ideas .
Adherents of this movement freed the public consciousness from the dictates of the church, but retained the general cultural Christian traditions. The ideology of populism has made autocracy immune to reasonable alternatives to state liberalism. Liberals were seen by the authorities as rebels, so the tsarist government found support only in a conservative environment, which ultimately accelerated its death.
Directions and Currents
The degree of radicalism distinguishes:
- conservative course;
- liberal revolutionary;
- social revolutionary populism;
- anarchist.
The conservative wing was associated with the Slavophiles (Strakhov, Grigoryev). His activity is the least studied and is represented mainly by the work of the weekly magazine P. Chervinsky and I. Kablits.
Representatives of the liberal-revolutionary (centrist) wing of the 60-70s of the 19th century: Eliseev (journal Sovremennik), Zlatovratsky, Obolensky, Mikhailovsky, Korolenko (1868-1884, Domestic Records), Krivenko, Yuzhakov, Vorontsov and others . Its leading ideologists were Lavrov and Mikhailovsky.
Proponents of the social-revolutionary direction of Narodism, led by Tkachev and to some extent Morozov, were not satisfied with the focus on propaganda and long preparations for a social explosion. They were attracted by the idea of accelerating, accelerating the revolution.
The anarchist wing challenged the need for change within the country. The anarchist populists Kropotkin and Bakunin were skeptical of the government, considering it enslaving and suppressing individual freedom. As it turned out, this trend rather played a destructive role, although in theory it had a number of positive ideas.
The first circles and organizations
In 1856-1858, there was a propaganda group at Kharkov University. In 1861, he was replaced in Moscow by an association led by P.E. Agriropulo and P.G. Zainchevsky. Its members considered revolution as the only way to transform the surrounding reality.
"Earth and will"
The most influential secret organization of St. Petersburg in 1861-1864 was "Earth and Freedom." Its members (Sleptsov, Kurochkin, Obruchev, Utin, Rymarenko) dreamed of "conditions for a revolution." The program of this society included the transfer of land to peasants (planned for redemption), the replacement of all officials with elected officials, and the reduction of expenses for the army and the royal court. However, these provisions did not receive the proper support among the people, and as a result, the organization self-dissolved, remaining not even discovered by the tsarist security services.
"Ishutins"
The revolutionary society of Ishutin grew out of a circle that is part of the organization "Earth and Freedom." His goal was to prepare the peasant revolution through a conspiracy of intellectual groups. In an effort to implement some of Chernyshevsky’s ideas on creating workshops and artels, members of the society opened a free school in Moscow in 1865, binding and sewing workshops, negotiated the creation of a commune with the workers of the Lyudinovsky ironworks in the Kaluga province, founded a cotton factory on the basis of Association in 1865 in Mozhaisk district. The Ishutins planned Chernyshevsky’s escape from penal servitude, but their activity was interrupted on April 4, 1866 by the assassination of Karakozov, one of the members of this society, against the emperor. In this case, more than 2000 populists fell under investigation, 36 were sentenced by the authorities to various measures (Karakozov was hanged, Ishutin was placed in solitary confinement in the Shlisselburg fortress, where he later went crazy).
"People's Reprisal"
This organization, led by Nechaev, represented the radical movement of Narodism and was created in 1869 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. She totaled 77 people. Her goal was also the preparation of a "people's revolution." Sergei Nechaev personified in this organization fanaticism, unscrupulousness, deceit and dictatorship. P. L. Lavrov openly opposed him, who believed that "no one should, without emergency, risk the moral purity of the struggle, and not one extra drop of blood should be shed." Nechaev called for terror and provocations. He was sure that such methods would be useful for undermining the regime and would bring a brighter future. Ivanov, who opposed Nechaev, was later accused of betrayal and killed. The police uncovered this criminal offense, and the head of the organization fled abroad, but was found, arrested and tried as a criminal.
This ideology did not pass without a trace, reflecting on the revolutionary thought of other states. So, in the populist movements of the countries of the Third World for many years to come, populism was encountered (century XX).