POLITIKAI KULTUSZ ─ VEZÉRKULTUSZ
THE POLITICAL CULT AND THE CULT OF THE LEADER

Creating Identity and Public Opinion

Author(s): Gábor Gyáni
Subject(s): Governance, Political behavior, Social psychology and group interaction, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Social Norms / Social Control
Published by: Scientia Kiadó
Keywords: political cult; 20th century; leader;
Summary/Abstract: What kind of social or psychological context can be sketched as a background of political cults in the 20th century? The need for a leader appears only when an overwhelming desire cannot be fulfilled by ordinary means. In these periods human beings not only fire up but also personify this desire. The collective craving is realized in a leader. In the society of our days the ritualization of political life deprives the individual of his autonomy. The charisma is rooted in the relationship between the individuals and is spread by the media, as well as penetrates the masses (Hitler, Stalin).

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