The category of “power” in the writings of E. M. Primakov

Annotation

The problem of power is one of the central topics of political science and has always aroused increased interest, both from representatives of the scientific community and the subjects of power themselves. Of particular value are those cases where existing politicians themselves are trying to scientifically understand what the essence of power is, what its capabilities (limits) are and what it should be. In this sense, the scientific heritage of E. M. Primakov is important not only for general political science, but also is of great interest for disciplines such as elitology, geopolitics, and international relations. This paper analyzes his understanding of the essence of the category of “power” in the context of Russia's foreign and domestic policy in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This work examines in detail various aspects of the category of “power”, which runs like a red thread through all the works of E. M. Primakov. Power itself is the most important feature of the political elite, and Yevgeny Maksimovich constantly focuses his reader's attention on this matter. He especially highlights such a variable of political power as the alignment of forces within the elite at a specific historical moment.

Keywords

• power
• politics
• elites
• leaders
• strong personality
• leadership
• geopolitics
• democracy
• freedom
• international relations
• conflicts
* click on a keyword to go to the search

References

1. Bakatin, V. V. Izbavlenie ot KGB [Getting rid of the KGB]. Moscow: Novosti; 1992, 272 p.

2.   Brumshteyn, Yu. M. Obrazy politicheskih liderov vedushhih zarubezhnyh stran v soznanii rossiyskikh grazhdan: obshchiy analiz problematiki [Images of political leaders of leading foreign countries in the minds of Russian citizens: a general analysis of the problematic]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2020, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 145–158, doi: 10.46539/elit.v1i2.22.

3.   Burlackiy, F. Gody v politike [Years in politics]. Nezavisimaya gazeta. 1999, December, 9.

4.   Karabushhenko, P. L., Gaynutdinova, E. V. Politicheskaya germenevtika i sovremennaya elitokratiya [Political hermeneutics and modern elitocracy]. Voprosy filosofii [Questions of Philosophy]. 2020, no. 4, pp. 58–68, doi: 10.21146/0042-8744-2020-4-58-68.

5.   Maksimova, E. N. Politicheskie elity kak faktor nestabilnosti politicheskoy sistemy [Political elites as a factor in the instability of the political system]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2021, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 36-49, doi: 10.46539/elit.v2i4.83.

6.   Mironov, A. V. Protivorechiya elitarnogo soznaniya v usloviyakh sotsialnogo krizisa [Contradictions of elite consciousness in the context of social crisis]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in  Elitology]. 2021, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 50–62, doi: 10.46539/elit.v2i4.84.

7.   Mlechin, L. M. Primakov [Primakov]. Moscow: Molodaya gvardiya; 2015, 528 p.

8.   Neizvestnyy Primakov. Vospominaniya [Unknown Primakov. Memories]. Moscow: TPP RF; Rossiyskaya gazeta: AIRO-HHI; 2016, 488 p.

9.   Neizvestnyy Primakov: Dokumenty [Neizvestny Primakov: Documents]. Moscow: TPP RF; Rossiyskaya gazeta: AIRO-HHI; 2016, 560 p.

10. Oskina, O. I. Transformatsionnye peremennye politicheskoy kultury sovremennoy politicheskoy elity [Transformational Variables of the Political Culture of the Modern Political Elite]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2020, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 52–73, doi: 10.46539/elit.v1i3.26.

11. Oskina, O. I. Evraziyskie i evropeyskie elity v zerkale karnavalnoy politicheskoy kultury [Eurasian and European Elites in the Mirror of Carnival Political Culture]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2023, vol. 4, no. 4 (16), pp. 13–25, doi: 10.46539/elit.v4i4.17.

12. Oskina, O. I., Kudryashova, E. V., Dzhantaleeva, M. Sh. Imperskaya ideya v sisteme mezhdunarodnykh otnosheniy [The imperial idea in the system of international relations]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2021, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 22–35, doi: 10.46539/elit.v2i4.82.

13. Ponedelkov, A. V. Politicheskie elity Rossii i sovremennye vyzovy i ugrozy [Political elites of Russia and modern challenges and threats]. Voprosy elitologii [Issues in Elitology]. 2022, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 64–80, doi: 10.46539/elit.v3i3.117.

14. Primakov, E. M. Sobranie sochineniy: v 10 tomakh [Collected works: in 10 vols]. Moscow: TPP RF : Rossiyskaya gazeta, 2016.

15. Morriss, P. Power: A Philosophical Analysis. Manchester: St. Martin's Press; 1987, 266 p.

Popular articles