Terror for Terror’s Sake: From Dostoevsky’s ‘Demons’ to Today’s Political Violence
The article draws parallels between contemporary political violence in the U.S. and the rise of terrorism in 19th-century Russia, as depicted in Fyodor Dostoevsky's works. Gary Saul Morson argues that political violence is becoming normalized and even fashionable in modern American culture, much like it did in pre-revolutionary Russia. The piece highlights historical precedents where educated elites, not oppressed classes, led terrorist movements.
- ▪The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on April 25 is part of a growing trend of politically motivated attacks in the U.S.
- ▪In early 20th-century Russia, around 4,500 government officials and private individuals were killed or injured in terrorist attacks between 1905 and 1907.
- ▪Russian terrorists in the 1870s were typically from educated or prominent backgrounds, not the working class or peasantry.
- ▪A newspaper editor in pre-revolutionary Russia reportedly saved a new governor’s biography for the obituary section, anticipating his imminent death.
- ▪Terrorism in 19th-century Russia included attacks such as throwing sulfuric acid on uniformed individuals and child-led terrorist groups in places like Belostok.
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Terror for Terror’s Sake: From Dostoevsky’s ‘Demons’ to Today’s Political ViolencePhotograph of the patrol of the October Revolution. The revolution was led by the Bolsheviks, who used their influence in the Petrograd Soviet to organize the armed forces. Dated 1917. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)There is literary and historical precedent for the normalizing of terrorism.By Gary Saul Morson05.05.26 — Culture and IdeasNo description available.FOLLOW TOPIC --:----:--Upgrade to Listen5 minsProduced by ElevenLabs using AI narrationThe White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on April 25 was only the latest in a series of politically motivated attacks in recent years, a story we have covered extensively because we believe it is among the most important in…
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