Psychology of the authoritarian personality (E. Fromm, A. Adler, T. Adorno, K. Horney)

Definition

The theory of the authoritarian personality, developed by E. Fromm, says that an authoritarian person is an adherent of a conservative view of the world and a hater of the existing system of government. Leadership weighs heavily on a person, and he considers it his duty to change the ruling elite. This does not mean that the person will run for president and change the structure of the entire country. This means that a person will make small revolutions in his social circle. For example, a person will be able to head a plant where she worked for many years as a manager. An authoritarian person experiences disappointment from life and thinks that this state is familiar to everyone around him. That is why she strives for power, to fill the void with work. The personality believes that the feeling of loneliness arises due to the presence of a large amount of free time, which most people do not know how to manage.

Psychology of fascism

After World War II, a group of American sociologists led by Theodor Adorno asked these questions. The result of the research was the book “The Authoritarian Personality,” published in 1950.

At the center of their theory is the idea of ​​the individual as the cause of social ills . The main idea is the following. Parents foster authoritarianism by frequently and seriously punishing children even for minor offenses. This makes children hostile towards parents and anyone in power and authority. However, children are not aware of this aggression because it can mean even more punishment for them. Moreover, they are dependent on their parents and are expected to love them. And so, according to the theory, their repressed antagonism is repressed and projected onto the weaker members of society. Authoritarian people are almost always ethnocentric, meaning they have an unambiguous, clear, and unshakable belief in the superiority of their racial, cultural, and ethnic group over members of other groups. This easily turns into cruelty, aggression and obvious, naked prejudice.

Although the idea has gained currency, it has been criticized, both because many other factors influence the development of authoritarian thinking and behavior and because prejudice is actually shaped by others due to strong situational factors.

Stereotypes

Everyone talks about authoritarian personalities. Not surprisingly, there are many stereotypes about them. Below are the most famous:

• A person who strives for power is unfamiliar with any moral values. Such a person is low in itself, and if she wants to lead, it means she strives to elevate her ego and become a despot.
• Such people are considered to have a limited mind. But if you look at historical examples, it becomes clear that people of an authoritarian character are not only smart, but also perspicacious. And it is not their own frivolity that destroys them, but unsatisfied ambitions.
• Such a person always demands too much from others. This is partly true. But it should be borne in mind that, first of all, a person requires good performance from himself. A person works tirelessly and it is quite logical that a person will demand the same from others.
• Discipline. An authoritative person loves when everything goes according to his plan and no circumstances interfere with the achievement of goals. Discipline helps you achieve your goals faster, as people will focus on the result rather than wasting energy on unimportant actions.

general characteristics

As you can see, an authoritarian regime is a rather ambiguous form of government with no clear boundaries for definition. Its place on the political map lies between the democratic and totalitarian systems. The general characteristics of an authoritarian regime can be described as a compromise between these two regimes.

Under an authoritarian regime, some freedoms are allowed in relation to members of society, but as long as they do not threaten the ruling elite. As soon as a threat begins to emanate from a particular force, political repression is applied against it. But, unlike a totalitarian society, these repressions are not massive in nature, but are applied selectively and narrowly.

However, many political scientists believe that authoritarianism for post-totalitarian societies and for countries with poorly developed economies and a low level of development of socio-political relations is the best form of government.

What makes a person authoritarian?

The formation of any person occurs in childhood. It is quite logical that an authoritarian personality is a product of improper upbringing. What can cause a change in consciousness in a child and the acquisition of false values?

Anxiety. A person who is afraid of everything in the world will strive to always and everywhere take control of the situation. Most often, such feelings are generated in a child by mothers who are too protective of their child. The mother does not allow the child to do anything without asking and always intimidates the child. Anxiety is imprinted on the child’s subconscious and therefore he unconsciously strives to take control of any situation.

Lack of independence. This character trait is also the result of overprotection. If parents do not force their child to work from childhood and make all decisions themselves, then the child will grow up too arrogant and complacent. A person will disguise his inability to make decisions as confidence. The person will begin to exploit others to achieve his interests.

The habit of submission. If in childhood the father forced the child to obey his every demand, then growing up, the child can harbor resentment and pour it out on others in adulthood. A person will force those around him to dance to his tune.

Definition of an authoritarian personality

An authoritarian personality is a person who strives with all his might to subordinate those around him to his influence. Synonyms for authoritarianism are totalitarianism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and anti-democracy.

The main features of authoritarian individuals are the desire to achieve what they want at all costs and to occupy leadership positions in the group. They want to manipulate other people, achieve their own goals, using outside help.

In psychology, there is a theory of the authoritarian personality, the author of which is T. Adorno and several of his colleagues. They studied manifestations of anti-Semitism. According to scientists, people's hatred of a certain group is determined by the personal qualities of its leader.

During the research, Adorno and his group conducted a series of tests that showed the true attitude of the subjects towards Jews. The F-scale was created for this purpose. Another E-scale determined the level of ethnocentrism, a sign of which is considered anti-Semitism.

Based on the responses of 80 participants, the researchers found out what traits an authoritarian personality possesses. There are only 9 of them:

1. Conventionalism. In light of the research (on anti-Semitism), this refers to support for American values.
2. Authoritarian servility. Submission to authorities in one's own group.
3. Aggression. A constant search for people who have divergent views with the aim of condemnation and punishment.
4. Anti-intraception. Inability to accept something emotional, filled with feelings, fantasy. Denial of weakness, sentimentality.
5. Superstition. Belief in omens, predetermined fate.
6. Idealization of strength, strength thinking. An authoritarian personality builds relationships according to the type of dominance-subordination, weak-strong, leader-followers. He flaunts his strengths.
7. Cynicism. People who are prone to authoritarianism are hostile to everything that surrounds them.
8. Projectivity. A person unconsciously projects dark thoughts onto the world around him.
9. Excessive sexuality. The individual sometimes shows unnecessary interest in the intimate details of life.

Based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud, Adorno and his assistants argued that the main reason for the development of authoritarianism is difficult relationships with parents in childhood and improper upbringing.

Character traits

To make it easier to identify such a person among your friends, you should understand who he is, an authoritarian person. What character traits does the person have, what are her preferences and value system:

• Conservatism. A person does not like something new, and will make his small revolutions based on long-proven methods. Innovation scares people because new technologies seem unreliable and untested. Confidence in technology and methods of action are very important for such a person.
• Servility. Another feature of authoritarianism is the leader’s desire to enslave the consciousness of his subordinates. For his “subjects,” an authoritarian person wants to be almost a god, well, at least an idol.
• Cult of power. A person believes that everything in the world can be achieved through coercion. But this does not mean that he will use his fists to achieve his goals. A person will stop at nothing to make his desires come true.
• Cynicism. A person who is an authoritarian person will treat everyone around him with contempt. And since contempt on the face is not the best mask, the person will mask his true emotions under cynicism and sarcasm.

How to defeat authoritarianism?

If we agree that the main features of “Russian style” authoritarianism are a feeling of political powerlessness and the absence of ideological confrontation, then authoritarian tendencies can be overcome only by defeating the feeling of political “weakness” mentioned above and reviving the ideological discussion.

As for the first point, it is obvious that much here depends on the state and its role in providing social guarantees. From Alexis de Tocqueville to the present day[16], influential theoretical works have argued for the connection between democracy and the pursuit of equality (political and social). The political involvement of citizens depends, among other things, on a sense of security and confidence in the future. The welfare state crisis in Russia, as in other countries, is increasing social inequality and precarity, putting democracy at risk. In addition to the state, social mechanisms can also contribute to the development of a sense of security and confidence. The process of “settling in”[17] is one of them. By being embedded in their environment and connected to everyday experience, people can also acquire the “sense of place” necessary to overcome alienation, establish social connections and political positioning. It is clear that without improvements in the economic situation or in the political field as such, this process is unlikely to have a chance for the future, but the potential from below for criticism of the unequal distribution of power and resources cannot be discounted.

The second component of authoritarianism—the weakness of ideological confrontation—has also been noted in many other countries. This is why populist and authoritarian parties and movements become so successful. Here, first of all, we are talking about the disappearance of an ideological alternative to liberal capitalism. Leftist ideas, not to mention communism, have experienced a crisis throughout the world. In Russia they are probably even more discredited than anywhere else, since they are believed to have been the basis of Soviet totalitarianism and led the country to collapse. Spontaneous, philistine, emotional, unconscious (and therefore not ideological) leftism today can be found in the judgments of many Russians, especially from the broadly defined category of “workers”[18]. However, for this voice to be heard in public debate, a political force is needed that can articulate the elements of leftist ideology that are found here and there. At the moment, there is no such political force, although the social prerequisites for its emergence exist.

Family

An authoritarian person is a person who received the wrong upbringing. The parents neglected to look after the child and therefore he began to develop various phobias and strange preferences that contradict normal social principles. Which families contribute to the development of an authoritarian personality? A family with one parent, a family in which the father drinks and a family that is overprotective of the child. It is the extremes that create an unhealthy child. A person should grow up in an atmosphere of love and tenderness from childhood. If he doesn't receive enough attention from his parents, he will grow up embittered and hate everyone. If the mother fussed too much over the child, she will be able to raise a selfish creature who will manipulate others without a twinge of conscience. Therefore, it is the parents who are entrusted with the task of properly developing their child. There is no need to blame your mistakes on bad teachers or the bad influence of the street. A good family will never raise an antisocial type.

A difficult situation

What does an authoritarian person mean? This is a person whose main goal will be the desire for power. A person will passionately desire to dominate everywhere: in the family, at work, among friends. What influences a person’s desire to lead others? The difficult political or economic situation in which a child’s consciousness is formed leaves an imprint on the life of an adult. If the child understood from childhood that leaders were not coping with their tasks, then he began to think that his task was to normalize the situation in the country and achieve a better life for everyone. Despite all his desire to lead, a person always has good intentions. He doesn't want power for power's sake. He wants to benefit the world and help all those who suffer.

Types of authoritarian political regime

The following types of authoritarian political regime are distinguished:

• party,
• military,
• corporate,
• National,
• regime of personal power.

Party regime

The essence of the party regime is the monopolization of power by any party or political group, which may not necessarily represent the interests of the party. As a rule, the party type of authoritarian regime is the result of a revolution or is imposed from the outside or represents the result of the evolution of power.

Examples of countries with a party regime are Belarus, Morocco, Nepal.

Military regime

A fairly common type of authoritarian regime is a military regime. It became most common in the post-war period, when power was in the hands of the most enlightened military men. In modern times, military regimes are established after coups d'état or putsch.

Their hallmarks are the suppression of political and civil liberties, widespread corruption and internal instability. State resources are used to suppress resistance and reduce the social activity of citizens, which is ensured by threats, coercion, and often physical violence.

Most countries in Latin America and Africa, as well as Greece, Pakistan, and Turkey are prime examples of countries with a military regime.

National type of authoritarian regime

The national type of authoritarian regime develops as a result of the formation of a dominant national or ethnic group in the ranks of the ruling elite.

In countries in which this type of authoritarian political regime has formed (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan), an unspoken policy of ousting other national groups can be traced. In this case, such tools for its implementation as political terrorism can be used.

Corporate mode

Under a corporate regime, power is concentrated in the hands of a bureaucratic, oligarchic group that combines power and its own personal interests.

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Cost and terms

The economic background of this regime is the state quota system, the implementation of a policy on the registration of enterprises, state entrepreneurship, and the lack of control over the activities of civil servants.

Russia in the 90s of the twentieth century is the most illustrative example of a corporate regime.

Personal power regime

The regime of personal power is a consequence of the identification of power with a civilian (for example, India under Gandhi, Romania under Ceausescu). Such a leader can pursue a relatively independent policy, relying on his own charisma, or serve the interests of his supporters.

As a rule, rather harsh political instruments are used, but in combination with the personal perception of the leader, they lead to the legal consolidation of power to him.

Education

The authoritarian type of person protests against some rules and standards. He is not against learning, but he is only interested in knowledge and skills that can be useful in the future. Most often, such individuals choose technical rather than humanitarian professions. An authoritarian person tries to improve his vision of the world, but he is limited by the ability to see from only one point of view. He cannot put himself in the position of other people. Therefore, exact sciences are better for people. Such a person receives knowledge with pleasure and never refuses to take any courses. A person continues his studies even after graduating from an educational institution. After all, to be a good and competent specialist in any field, you need to constantly improve yourself.

Profession

Profession, like education, leaves its mark on a person. A person who works in law enforcement agencies is more prone to authoritarianism. But a person who is engaged in philosophical activities, art or other creative activities is unlikely to develop plans to take over the world. Those who, thanks to their profession, have power over others, can use their powers for anything but noble purposes. For example, an officer has much more chances and opportunities to show his authoritarian nature compared to an ordinary soldier. And a person who has served as a subordinate under contract all his life will be servile not only at work, but also in the family. The habit of obeying, just like the habit of commanding, extends throughout a person’s life.

What is the problem with authoritarianism “Russian style”?

Deconstructing clichés about the “innate” authoritarianism of Russians should not obscure the real problem of the authoritarian system of governance. I will name here the two main problems of authoritarianism “Russian style”: instilling in the population a feeling of political helplessness and the absence of ideological confrontation.

The mythical apoliticality of Russians is now increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Most people either follow the news, argue about politics, or, conversely, decisively and consciously move away from it and throw politics out of their lives. Despite the apparent contradiction, both positions are political. Conscious support for Putin is also politics. So the authoritarianism of the current Russian political system is not expressed in apoliticality. But it is accompanied by a strong feeling of political helplessness, or it would be better to say “disempowerment”. In interviews, people who even harshly criticize government policies and want to do something about it (or even have experience of collective action) express painful powerlessness, the inability to change anything, at least beyond narrow practical problems. This feeling is well known to all who study the sociology of social movements. It is expressed approximately in the following words: “Who are we to influence this?”, “Will the common people listen?”, “They have money and an army - how can we resist them?” In other words, there is no assumption in the public space that ordinary people (not politicians, not businessmen, not the intellectual elite, not heroes or saints) can have any influence - and certainly not power. Society has no power. This kind of negative belief is widespread.

This trait is an important element of the political culture of modern Russia, inherited both from pre-revolutionary and Soviet history, and from the elitist and oligarchic democracy of the 1990s. Russians are good at “twirling” and “turning around” in order to survive, but organizing independently—from below—in order to influence political decision-making seems extremely difficult, almost impossible, for them. One of the sources of Putin’s enduring authority is that the president personifies the power of “ordinary people.” Rhetorically putting the “common man”, the “worker” on a pedestal, Putin seems to be speaking on their behalf and in the name of their well-being. A myth is created that through the sovereign, the head of state, the population exercises its power.

The second problem of “Russian-style” authoritarianism, which, by the way, is found not only in Russia, is the lack of ideological confrontation. Political debate, if it occurs publicly at all, boils down to a battle between “good” and “evil,” “democracy” and “authoritarianism,” “liberalism” and “illiberalism.” At the same time, liberalism is associated with “Western civilization”, and “illiberalism” with “traditional Russian”. As a result, the “conflict of civilizations” replaces the ideological and political struggle. The situation is exactly the same in the USA and in many other countries. Determining who most expresses “moral” qualities has long replaced ideological debates throughout the world[7]. Perhaps in Russia the crisis of ideologies is more pronounced, since one camp (leftist ideology) was greatly discredited after the collapse of the USSR, and in general ideologies are considered almost the main evil here. As a result, Russian society is completely confused in its own ideological preferences. In the minds of one and the same person, Marxist beliefs can coexist quite peacefully with monarchist ones, or liberal ones with authoritarian ones.

Finally, despite the concentration of attention on the figure of Putin, it is obvious that the authoritarianism of the “Putin regime” is focused not only on Putin - rather, it is clan, oligarchic authoritarianism[8]. Its main task is to maintain the dominance of the owners of large corporations and high-ranking officials associated with them, who create real dynasties to maintain power and control over the state. Thanks to his popularity and the image of a national leader rising above these clans, Putin gives the system legitimacy and stability. Therefore, there is a high probability that the disappearance of the figure of the “national leader” will not open the way to democratization, but will only intensify the inter-clan struggle and/or the struggle of all dominant clans with the “dangerous” people, which will lead to an even greater strengthening of repressive and authoritarian tendencies.

Communication

The authoritarian communication style stands out from the rest:

• The person will talk to you as if you owe him something. He will deliberately belittle your dignity and put moral pressure on you in order to elevate his status. If you do not succumb to such manipulations, the person will move on to active aggression.
• Such a person will always give orders. The person will not ask the other person’s opinion. He himself will decide what his opponent needs and will be confident that he is right even when the interlocutor tries to say the opposite.
• A person will stick to his opinion, even if he understands that it is fundamentally wrong. He is unlikely to be able to admit that he was wrong and accept his defeat.

Good or bad

Authoritarian behavior can only be condemned when the person has bad intentions. He will strive for his main goal, which will be to improve this world. The followers of an intelligent authoritarian person will be freedom-loving and adequate people. They will not blindly obey their idol. Their obedience will be justified. A leader will help his followers become better people and also show them the path to follow to avoid pitfalls.

But the situation changes when an authoritarian personality with psychological problems comes to power. In this case, the dictator will do what he wants. Such a person will not give anyone an account of his actions. But the individual will demand blind and instant submission from his subordinates.

In business

Most often, authoritarianism manifests itself precisely as a type of management. Such a leader is characterized by rigidity, the desire for absolute discipline, absolute control. Authoritarian leadership does not involve discussing problems with the team, collective decision-making, voting, brainstorming, listening to other people's ideas or, especially, advice. Such a leader makes decisions exclusively on his own, based on his personal judgments, he has a clear set of ideas and opinions, and he is not inclined to flexibility.

An authoritarian leader takes all decisions upon himself, without giving his subordinates the opportunity to speak out or prove themselves. Working conditions, methods and laws are dictated solely by the manager, and this is not discussed.

Severe pressure and coercion are often used; the leader is not inclined to make concessions; there are no force majeure or family circumstances for him. He is not interested in the personal problems of his subordinates, and an employee who is late for work for a serious personal reason (for example, due to the illness of a loved one) will be punished without the opportunity to explain the reason.

This type of leadership has its pros and cons. Moreover, there are quite a lot of advantages, and a conscious leader, competently applying an authoritarian management style at the right stage, will be able to achieve excellent results.

This type of management can be successfully used at the initial stage, when the team (enterprise, firm) is just being formed. With the help of this leadership style, it is possible to formulate clear goals for employees, give them an understanding of the structure and form of work, its style, outline the scope of work responsibilities, and establish discipline.

At the initial stage, this leadership style will help the boss to form and establish his own authority, strengthen it, demonstrate his leadership qualities, and demonstrate the ability to achieve goals. This type of leadership is good in terms of discipline; it really helps to achieve goals, beat competitors, and develop rapidly.

The disadvantages of authoritarian management may not be obvious to the leader who prefers this style, but they are obvious to others. The lack of opportunity to express themselves and introduce their ideas completely destroys the initiative of employees, and a tense psycho-emotional atmosphere leads to apathy and reluctance of team members to work and achieve goals.

This leads to “stagnation”, a lack of new ideas and methods, and staff turnover. Workers under such management become secretive, passive, they ingratiate themselves and hide shortcomings in their work, do not strive to do it at the proper level, but, fearing the wrath of their superiors, carefully cover up shortcomings. Of course, this leads to an inevitable decline in the quality of the team’s work.

Person's reputation

How is an authoritarian personality type perceived by others? People are afraid of tyrants. Subservience and respect are more like fear. An authoritarian personality is quite happy with such a situation. She has no close friends, and therefore a person enjoys the respect emanating from his retinue. In wide circles the person is always known. She has a reputation as a good specialist and a good leader. Nothing bad can be said about a person. But sometimes it’s simply impossible to work with him. The personality tries to remake all subordinates to his standards, which from the outside may seem wild.

Test

Are you into socionics? You will like this personality type test. By answering the questions, you can understand how your worldview is similar or divergent from authoritarian people. You need to answer yes or no. Below are some questions from the F-scale test:

• Should children be taught respect and obedience before anything else?
• Can a person without good manners exist normally in polite society?
• Will a person achieve success only when he works hard?
• Are industrialists, managers and salespeople more important than artists and writers?
• Our universe is unknowable, and man will never be able to comprehend all its secrets.
• Is man a toy in the hands of supernatural power?
• Will a liberal person become a conservative with age?
• Are laws not as important to the state as a smart leader who will show people the path to happiness?

Do you believe in socionics? The personality type test should show you how much authoritarianism is developed in your soul. If you answered yes to most of the questions, then this means that at heart you are a born dictator.