Semen Frank’s Αnalysis of Τotalitarianism

Abstract

The American historian and diplomat George F. Kennan called World War | the “great seminal catastrophe of the 20th century”. For Simon Frank, however, the Russian Revolution played that role. To be sure, World War I indeed constituted a historic break because of its total mobilisation of national reserves, as well as within the field of military technology. Yet, the Great War’s goals remained conventional.  It was yet another version of the traditional hegemonic war in Europe. It was not until the Bolshevik Revolution that a truly new era was ushered in, on the European continent. Altogether it was this revolution rather than World WarI that heralded the beginning of the “short twentieth century”. At least, many Russian philosophers were certain of this as they were witnessing the Russian catastrophetakeits course after October 1917. Especially keenly aware of this was the initially “apolitical” philosopher Simon Frank whose major interest constituted metaphysical questions. Perhaps this was the reason why Frank understood especially well and early the magnitude of the events unfolding after the October Revolution. Not only did political, social and economic circumstances end up being turned upside down. The issue of human existence itself was touched upon by these events.