Totalitarianism Essays - Forms Of Government, Political Philosophy

Totalitarianism According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the definition of totalitarianism is a form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual's life to the authority of the government (http://www.britannica.com/). Totalitarian governments are often believed to be a solution to political or economic problems in a country. Despite the brutality and lack of freedom, at its beginning, a totalitarian government often receives overwhelming support for its ideas and goals. History has proven that such governments have had a tremendous negative impact on their people and traditions. Totalitarian governments often emerge from developing countries that are trying to build their economy. They are also considered to be a solution for countries that have recently been through a social, economic or political downfall. At the beginning of their rule, these regimes tend to be very popular and have the support of most people in the country. This popularity is mostly due to the government's promises of an ideal society. A totalitarian administration also requires a charismatic leader and modern developments in transportation and communication to spread its message. In order for a totalitarian state to be built, the leader must have a tremendous will to transform the society into his version of utopia (http://www.uta.edu). A central concept in the totalitarian system is the attainment of a specific goal. This goal is the reason why a totalitarian government exists and is essential to keeping the regime in power (http://www.britannica.com/). In Hitler's case, his goals were the purification of the Aryan race and the expansion of his territory. In a totalitarian state, all of its