D’un populisme, l’autre

Abstract

The present pervasive spirit seems to be dominated by the expression of populism, a term used by the observers of social life. Here we have a return of populism ! But it may be interesting to take a closer look. The nature of this typically Russian movement is highlighted by historical research. Indeed, for revolutionary intellectuals invited by Alexandre Herzen to consult with the people, populism, the first socialist movement in Russia at the time of the Tsars, was experienced as the preaching of socialism in the political arena. The failure of this widely followed movement turned some Narodniki towards terrorism. Populism is still nowadays tainted with that strangely tragic dimension. The very idea of populism is corrupted. Today it appears as a form of demagogy with a high impact, which is infamously vehicled by the media