Dorment on Humanisim & Totalitarianism

Compare the ideas of humanism and civic humanism of the Renaissance with the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century.

Humanism, an important idea during the Renaissance, focused on the importance of reason and knowledge for self-improvement. It stressed that through education, in the sources of classical, and especially Christian, antiquity, they could instill a true inner piety or an inward religious feeling that would bring about a reform of the church and the society. Totalitarianism displayed that a state characterized by government control over all aspects of economic, social, political, cultural, and intellectual life, the subordination of the individual to the state, and insistence that the masses by actively involved in the regime's goals. In Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, humanism was demonstrated through educational policy, reform programs, and rhetorical training.

Humanism - and intellectual movement in Renaissance Italy based
upon the study of Greek and Roman classics.

Civic Humanism - an intellectual movement of the Italian Renaissance that saw Cicero, who was both an intellectual and a statesman, as the ideal and held that humanists should be involved in government and use their rhetorical training in the service of the state.

Humanism Goals
A. Most important characteristic of northern humanism is a reform program.
i. Belief in the ability of human beings to reason and improve themselves
ii. Through education, in the sources of classical, and especially Christian, antiquity, they could instill a true inner piety or an inward religious feeling that would bring about reform of the church and the society.
B. Strong feeling that through certain programs of humanism the necessary changes in society could be made.

Totalitarian Ideologies
A. Totalitarian state - a state characterized by government control over all aspects of economic, social, political, cultural, and intellectual life, the subordination of the individual to the state, and insistence that the masses by actively involved in the regime's goals.
i. Led by a single leader and a single party
ii. Ruthlessly rejected the liberal ideal of limited government power and constitutional guarantees of individual freedoms.
iii. Individual freedom was to be subordinated to the collective will of the masses, organized and determined for them by a leader or leaders.
iv. Modern technology also gave total states unprecedented police controls to enforce their wishes on their subjects.
a. Totalitarianism can be seen in Italy and Nazi Germany
b. Transcended traditional political labels.
c. Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany grew out of extreme rightist preoccupations with nationalism, and in the case of Germany, with racism.
d. Totalitarianism could and did exist in what
were perceived as extreme right-wing left-wing regimes.

B. Fascism in Italy

. a. Mussolini believes that he has power, (like humanists) to improve the people and himself by having complete control over Italy
b. Parallels Civic Humanism in this sense: Mussolini realized that anti-communism, anti-strike activity, and nationalist rhetoric combined with the use of brute force might help him obtain what he had been unable to achieve in his free elections.
c. Through education programs (a very humanistic approach), Mussolini taught the so-called benefits and advantages to Fascism, thus making almost 60% of his members students.
d. More specifically, Mussolini and the Fascists also attempted to mold the Italians into a single-minded community by pursing a Fascist educational policy and developing Fascist organizations.
e. The Establishment of youth groups, such as Young Fascists, helped to shape one type of person that was educated in only one style of government. This would give Mussolini the control he desired.
f. Humanism focuses on educating and developing individuals, through different reform movements, to a certain style of thinking. A tactic employed by many Totalitarian leaders.

C. Hitler and Nazi Germany

a. Hitler joins the obscure German Workers' Party and soon rises up in the ranks until he assumes total control of the party, which he renamed the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), or the Nazis.
I. Hitler worked hard to develop the party into a mass political movement with flags, badges, uniforms, its own newspaper, and its own police force or militia known as the SA.
b. Hitler employs tactics of Civic Humanism through his speeches
i. The advancement of Hitler's campaign is largely due to his charismatic dealings with the citizens, and specifically his rhetorical skills. Like Civic Humanism stresses, the importance of rhetorical training in the service of the state was critical to the progression of his state as a whole.
c. The Nazis, like the Italian Fascists run by Mussolini, employ violence to ensure the continuation of a Totalitarian regime
i. The SA was used to defend the party in meeting halls and to break up the meetings of other parties.
ii. (Parallel to civic humanism once again): Hitler's own oratorical skills were largely responsible for attracting an increasing number of followers.
d. Through reform programs that humanism often advocates, Hitler acted quickly on his Germany Empire.
i. The coordination of all institutions were under Nazi control
ii. The civil service was purged of Jews and democratic elements
iii. Concentration camps were established for opponents of the new regime
iv. The autonomy of the federal states was eliminated
v. trade unions were dissolved and swallowed by the gigantic Labor Front, and all political parties except the Nazis were abolished.
e. Humanism often allows for a certain group of people to think that they are doing the right thing - which they are teaching, in their opinion, the right ideologies and styles of government. This thought can result in superiority and reform programs that can cripple countries for years and years to come.
i. Nazi Germany was the scene of almost constant personal and institutional conflict, which resulted in administrative chaos.
ii. In matters such as foreign policy, education, and economies, parallel government and party beaurocracies competed with each other over spheres of influence.
iii. Incessant struggle characterized relationships within the party, within the state, and between party and state.