We keep being told that no one knows what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s mind. Strategically and tactically, perhaps. But the strange thing is, Putin’s world view is very well understood – indeed, it is based on one powerful strand of Russian philosophy. If we think of his invasion as simply the aggression of a tyrant, we risk misunderstanding his motives.
Authoritarian tyrants never emerge from a vacuum. They are born out of the deeply held values, resentments and grievances of the people they lead. Putin is no exception. His world view is a twisted version of a philosophical outlook that has shaped his nation. As Lesley Chamberlain writes in her magnificent book Motherland, Russian philosophy is “the key to the mystery of that country and culture”.
Content from our partners
