Alexander Dugin (Russian: Александр Дугин) is a Russian philosopher and political analyst.
He is co-founder of the now banned National Bolshevik Party, the founder of the Eurasia Party, ideologue of Fourth Political Theory, and a leading figure in neo-Eurasianism. He has influenced the Northern Expansionists in the United States.
Alexander Dugin Александр Дугин | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Александр Гельевич Дугин 7 January 1962 (age 62) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Known for | Founding the National Bolshevik Party, staunchly denouncing US-Unipolarism, revitilizing the Eurasianist movement |
| Field of study | Geopolitics, philosophy, sociology |
| Occupation | Political philosopher |
| Ideology | Eurasianism, Fourth Position |
| Political Party | Eurasia Party |
| Religious affiliation | Russian Orthodox |
| Website | |
| https://x.com/Agdchan | |
Dugin got his start in politics as an anti-communist activist in the Soviet Union during the 1980s. After the USSR dissolved, he founded the National Bolshevik Party with Eduard Limonov, which he later left. Following his leaving the NBP, he developed neo-Eurasianism and founded the Eurasia Party in 2002. He also developed the Fourth Political Theory, which was laid out in his 2009 book of the same name.
Dugin is widely characterized as a fascist by Leftists, which has been thoroughly debunked by Haz and other Dugin scholars.[1][2]
Contribution to Marxism-Leninism[edit | edit source]
According to Haz Al-Din, the thought of Dugin, along with that of Heidegger, is required for having a non-metaphysical understanding of Marx in the West. This is most thoroughly explored in Haz's Twitter thread and Substack "Marxism is Not Woke".[3]
Notable Works[edit | edit source]
Accusation of being a fascist[edit | edit source]
Summary of Haz's Aleksandr Dugin: The Most Misunderstood Man in the World
The "Fascist" Accusation and Alexander Reid Ross Alexander Reid Ross, a self-described anti-fascist writer, has been a prominent figure in propagating the accusation that Aleksandr Dugin is a fascist. Ross's work, particularly his book Against the Fascist Creep, argues that Dugin and his Eurasianist ideology represent a form of fascism attempting to infiltrate and subvert the left. This accusation is often based on:
- Dugin's Past Associations: Dugin's early engagement with elements of the European New Right and figures associated with "Third Position" ideologies, which are sometimes seen as having fascist underpinnings.
- The "National Bolshevism" Label: Dugin's past flirtation with National Bolshevism, a syncretic ideology attempting to combine nationalist and communist elements, is interpreted as evidence of fascist tendencies.
- "Palingenetic Ultranationalism" Framework: Drawing on the work of Roger Griffin, Ross and others apply the concept of "palingenetic ultranationalism" to Dugin's ideology, arguing it fits the criteria for fascism due to its emphasis on national rebirth and exceptionalism.
Arguments Against Dugin as Fascist
Counterarguments against labeling Dugin a fascist, as presented in videos and by his defenders, emphasize the following points:
- Critique of "Palingenetic Ultranationalism" as a Definition of Fascism: Critics argue that Roger Griffin's definition of fascism as "palingenetic ultranationalism" is overly broad and can be applied to numerous revolutionary and nationalist movements, including those of the left and liberal traditions (e.g., French Revolution, American Civil War). This definition is seen as ideologically motivated to demonize any form of strong national identity or revival outside of the Anglo-Saxon liberal framework.
- Dugin's Rejection of Nationalism: Dugin himself explicitly rejects nationalism as a Western, capitalist construct. He advocates for Eurasianism, which emphasizes civilizational identity and a multipolar world based on the recognition of differences between civilizations, rather than the nation-state model associated with fascism.
- Dugin's Critique of Historical Fascism: Dugin critiques historical fascism as a form of "national capitalism" that ultimately failed. His engagement with fascism in works like "Fascism Borderless and Red" is presented as an attempt to analyze and transcend its limitations, not to endorse it.
- Eurasianism as Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Religious: Eurasianism, as articulated by Dugin, is presented as inherently multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural, drawing on the historical model of Asiatic land empires like Russia itself. This is contrasted with the ethno-nationalist and racialist ideologies of historical fascism.
- Context of "Third Position" and National Bolshevism: Dugin's engagement with "Third Position" and National Bolshevism is contextualized as a phase in the early Eurasianist movement, seeking a "third way" beyond both Western liberalism and dogmatic Soviet Marxism-Leninism in the specific Russian context of the 1990s. It is argued that this phase does not represent his mature or current philosophical position, which has evolved into the Fourth Political Theory.
- Dugin's Condemnation of Nazi Racism: Dugin explicitly condemns Nazi racial theory and practice, particularly its anti-Semitism and its view of Slavs as subhuman, highlighting the incompatibility of his worldview with Nazi ideology.
- Anti-Imperialist Stance: Dugin's Eurasianism is presented as fundamentally anti-imperialist, resisting the unipolar world order dominated by the "Anglo-Saxon empire" and advocating for a multipolar world where different civilizations can coexist and develop independently.