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Summary of Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism 

Short summary

Why do some countries have better living conditions and respect human rights while others resort to tyranny? In 2018, Timothy Snyder, an American author and history professor at Yale University, published an analytic essay about Russian religious and political philosopher Ivan Ilyin. Ilyin formed the metaphysical and moral justification for totalitarianism and provided future Russian leaders with the outlines for a genuinely fascist state, a certifiably fascist Russia. In this summary, you will learn how the concept of Russian fascism was born and why it has been widely popular and acknowledged by Russian supremacy after the Soviet Union collapsed. “Ilyin shows us how fragile masculinity generates enemies, how perverted Christianity rejects Jesus, how economic inequality imitates innocence, and how fascist ideas flow into the postmodern. This is no longer just Russian philosophy. It is now American life.” ~ Timothy Snyder

Table of content

  • Summary of Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism
  • About the author
  • What is Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism about?
  • Who should read Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism
  • Topics in Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism
first key point

The talk between the Russian, Satan, and God or how Russian fascism was born

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Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin wasn’t an ordinary Christian. He believed that God constructed the world to complete himself but instead released original sin and hid in shame. For Ilyin, modern society, with its pluralism and civil rights, with all people’s thoughts and feelings, only gives Satan more power while God is in exile. Ilyin saw history not as a logical explanation of the present world but as a disgrace, meaningless and sinful. The last hope was a righteous nation following a leader into political totality, becoming one immortal living organism.
Because the unifying principle of the Word was the only good in the universe, any means that might bring about its return were justified. ~ Timothy Snyder
That’s how Ivan Ilyin came to his theory of Russian fascism. The main concept was “law” or “legal consciousness.” However, its meaning differed before and after the Russian Revolution (1917-1923). Before the Revolution, Ilyin believed that law would help the Russians join a universal consciousness, turning Russia into a modern state. And after the Revolution, he was assured that a certain conscious “soul,” not “mind,” allowed the Russians to see dictatorial power claims as law.

The Russian Federation emerged after the crash of the Soviet Union, long after Ilyin’s death. Today, it still has not confirmed the rule of law as the principle of government. Moreover, Russian supremacy follows Ilyin’s ideas precisely and creatively. According to Ilyin, the failure of the rule of law was to become Russian morals of the 20th century. In the next century, Russian leaders used his ideas to turn economic inequality into national virtue.
Vladimir Putin, the current President of Russia, uses Ilyin’s thoughts about geopolitics to move the focus from Russia’s internal problems to the expansion of this morality abroad.
Thanks to Ilyin’s conversion of international politics into a “spiritual threats” debate, Russian supremacy now describes the United States, Ukraine, and Europe as existential threats to Russia.
second key point

The philosopher's background as the key to understanding his philosophy

Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin was born in 1883 to a Russian nobleman father and a German Protestant mother who converted to Orthodox. Ilyin studied philosophy in Moscow, where he discovered the ethical thought of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). But Ilyin still couldn’t imagine Russian people as the creatures Kant described: humans with powerful minds that allowed them to make meaningful choices. Another philosopher who drew Ilyin’s attention was Hegel (1770–1831). Ilyin even proclaimed “Hegelian renaissance” in 1912; it gave him hope that time would fix all disagreeable tensions.
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third key point

Ilyin cherished Mussolini and was disappointed that the Italians had invented fascism and not the Russians

fourth key point

The recipe for the ideal national dictator and his rule

fifth key point

How Putin brought Ilyin’s ideas to life and how dangerous this is

sixth key point

Conclusion

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What is Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism about?

Who should read Ivan Ilyin, Putin’s Philosopher of Russian Fascism

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