totalitárius

Totalitárius is the Hungarian adjective for totalitarian, used to describe political systems that seek to extend state power into nearly every aspect of public life and private behavior. The term traces its roots to the Italian totalitario and entered modern political vocabulary in the 20th century. In scholarly use, totalitarianism refers to regimes that promote an all-encompassing ideology and aim to shape politics, society, and culture alike.

Key features commonly cited include a dominant official ideology; a single mass political organization; centralized authority typically under a dictator or ruling elite; pervasive censorship and propaganda; a secret police or security apparatus; and the suppression of opposition. Totalitarian regimes also strive to mobilize and indoctrinate the population, extending control over education, culture, religion, and, in many cases, the economy. A characteristic goal is to transform society in line with ideological aims, often through mass campaigns, personality cults, and extensive surveillance.

Totalitarianism is distinguished from authoritarianism by its breadth of control and its aim to reshape the entire social order, not merely to maintain political power. The concept has been applied to various historical regimes—Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union under Stalin, Fascist Italy, and Maoist China—though scholars continue to debate definitions and the degree to which experiences from different regimes fit a single model.

In contemporary analysis, the term remains a subject of debate, with some arguing that strict total control is rare while others see persistent patterns of pervasive state power and social manipulation in different contexts.