TOTALITARIAN Meaning and
Definition
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Totalitarian is an adjective that describes a system of government or ideology characterized by absolute and centralized authority, where the state has extensive control over every aspect of public and private life of its citizens. It denotes a regime that seeks to control and regiment all forms of political, social, economic, and cultural activities within a country. The term originates from the concept of "totality," meaning complete dominance or control.
In a totalitarian state, the ruling party or leader asserts unrestricted power and imposes strict obedience to their prescribed ideology or principles. Central to this concept is the suppression of individual freedoms, as dissent or opposition is often heavily repressed or eliminated. The government might employ various tools such as propaganda, censorship, surveillance, and indoctrination to maintain their authority and control over the population.
Totalitarian regimes tend to have a highly centralized and hierarchical structure, enabling the ruling party or leader to consolidate power, often extending to their military forces and secret police. These systems often exhibit a cult of personality around the leader, emphasizing their infallibility and presenting them as the embodiment of the state.
Historically, notable examples of totalitarian regimes include Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany, Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union, and Kim Jong-un's North Korea. However, it is important to note that not all authoritarian regimes can be classified as totalitarian, as some may not have the same level of control over all aspects of society or seek to completely assimilate every facet of individual life.
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Etymology of TOTALITARIAN
The word "totalitarian" originated from the Italian word "totalitario" which was first used in the early 1920s to describe a system of government. It is derived from the Latin word "totus" meaning "whole" or "complete" and further influenced by the Italian word "totalità" meaning "totality" or "totalness". The term gained prominence and widespread usage following the rise of fascist regimes in Italy and Nazi Germany during the 1930s, which embodied the concept of centralized control and absolute authority. Thus, "totalitarian" came to describe political systems in which the state holds complete control over all aspects of public and private life.
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