Politics & Governance / Political Philosophy & Theory / Liberalism & Ideology

How Totalitarianism Became a Political Religion-This book delves into the intellectual origins of

Totalitarianism and Political Religion: An Intellectual History

A. James Gregor

Totalitarianism and Political Religion: A History of Ideas (A. James Gregor) This book delves into the intellectual origins of totalitarianism as a political religion, analyzing how modern religions have transformed the secular into a sacred belief system. James Gregor, through a review of Hegel's philosophy, Feuerbach's humanism, and Marxism, reveals how these doctrines were transformed into secular beliefs aimed at achieving human salvation. The book contrasts the moderate civic religions of industrial democracies with the extreme exclusionary political dogmas of regimes such as Soviet Russia, Fascist Italy, and Syria-Germany. The core argument of the book is that when a state integrates its people through charismatic leaders and sanctified narratives, this theocratic system often achieves its grand historical goals rather than through large-scale institutionalized violence.