Conversations with Peter Boghossian Echoes of Totalitarianism: Lessons from Soviet History | Audrey Unverferth
Jan 1, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Audrey Unverferth, a Visiting Fellow at Hungary’s MCC, brings her expertise on Soviet totalitarianism to the forefront. She draws alarming parallels between Soviet history and modern trends in the West, particularly emphasizing the rise of totalitarian tendencies in education and the chilling effects of cancel culture on free speech. Unverferth discusses the importance of fostering open dialogue and diverse viewpoints, while warning against the complacency that can lead to authoritarianism in any political ideology.
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Echoes of Totalitarianism
- Totalitarians create an anti-human world through mass indoctrination and silencing dissent.
- Today, similar tactics are seen with critical race theory and cancel culture.
Underground Education
- Underground education, used in Nazi-occupied Poland and the 80s Soviet era, involved secret meetings to discuss forbidden ideas.
- It served as a form of resistance against totalitarian regimes' control over information.
Modern Underground Education
- Podcasts can be considered part of today's underground education, offering alternative perspectives.
- True education requires conversation, challenging ideas, and building community.