Regional Varieties of Stalinist Epistemology

• In Event: Left Perspectives on Decolonization and Geopolitics III: Transnational Flows and the Falsifiable "Center" and "Periphery"

Abstract

Stalinism is often recognized—at least at a superficial level—for its efforts to impose a binding image of the world. This image emerged from a specific way of conceptualizing external reality, essentially a distinct epistemology. In the case of Stalinism, this epistemology is typically reduced to a dogmatic and simplistic version of Marxist orthodoxy, reinforced by the theory of violent political revolution ("leaps") and the well-known strategy of socialist content and national form, among other elements, all adjusted according to Stalin’s political pragmatism. While this characterization holds true in many respects, it offers little insight into the national variations of Stalinism, particularly in its formative stages. The absence of clear norms, combined with differing socio-political conditions, often led to autonomous interpretations of what the Stalinist worldview actually was—or could be. In this paper, we seek to explore this issue further. Can we speak of a unified Stalinist epistemology with national variations, or should we instead conceptualize multiple distinct Stalinist epistemologies?

Authors

• Jan Mervart, Inst of Philosophy CAS (Czech Republic)

• Jiří Růžička, Inst of Philosophy CAS (Czech Republic)