Aleksander Hertz’s Concept of Totalitarianism

Abstract

The Polish legal and political thought in the period preceding World War II actively attempted to explain the phenomenon of totalitarianism. One can even notice some fascination with certain aspects of the Italian fascism at that time. The article attempts to reconstruct the fundamental, anti-totalitarian views by the sociologist Aleksander Hertz. The author’s main works were written before World War II. It is a series of articles. The most important ones were published in a book entitled Szkice o totalitaryzmie (Sketches on Totalitarianism) (1994). He argues fascism derives from combatant movements. He claims that totalitarianism is a regime that aims to eradicate liberal democracy. He examines totalitarianism based on the Italian fascism, the German Nazism and Stalinism. Aleksander Hertz mainly deals with the explanation of the role of a mono-party in the totalitarian system. He believes it to be the core of any totalitarianism. It is mainly a militarised mono-party. The party is a hierarchical structure. Another characteristic of totalitarianism is the supreme and absolute position of the leader both in the party and the State. The charismatic leader holds absolute power based on a diversified party elite and other ordinary members of the party. They are fully responsible before him for their actions both in the party and outside it. The programme and activity of a totalitarian party are of revolutionary nature and they involve changes in all spheres of social life.