history of tyranny

Throughout human history, people have suffered far more from tyranny than they have benefited from freedom. Yet, strangely, while there are countless books discussing freedom, there are very few dissecting tyranny. This imbalance in academic attention persists to this day. Despite the frequent occurrence of tyranny throughout history, few political philosophers have discussed tyranny itself as a core theoretical problem.
 
Part One of this book reviews some timeless principles of autocratic rule that run through ancient and modern tyrannies. Autocratic tyranny "has one thing to cling to, and that is power; it must be enshrined as a fundamental principle." As long as the darkness and weakness of human nature remain unchanged, these principles of governing people, with only some technical modifications and updates, will never become outdated.
 
Part Two discusses 20th-century totalitarian tyranny and leader worship – Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and especially the cult of personality of leaders in communist ideological states. The cult of personality is an extreme form of leader worship, often mistakenly understood as a special case that arises only because of a particular political figure's excessive desire for personal power, low moral integrity, and overbearing personality.
 
Part Three turns to consider the relationship between leader worship and public gratitude, adoration, and blind obedience. Totalitarian systems achieve their power and demand loyalty by promising to improve society and people's lives; even before the promises are fulfilled, the people must first demonstrate their loyalty.
 
Part Four discusses a special group among the general public: intellectuals. Some, yearning for the value of freedom, prostrated themselves at the feet of the god of revolution, worshipping it devoutly. Others worshipped the leader as the embodiment of revolution, willingly serving as cultural attack dogs or political henchmen. They are the creators of idol myths, and also the most persistent devotees of this myth, the most agonizingly disillusioned, and the most likely resistors. Once disillusioned and becoming resistors, they will leave behind firsthand accounts and tell the world that even the most towering evil idol will one day collapse with a crash. For that day to arrive sooner, everyone must never give up hope and resistance, as Orwell said, "Even if defeated, be full of courage."