Gurevich, P. S. Demagogue: History of the Concept

Abstract: ‘Demagogue’ was quite a common word in the history of political thought. However, it’s been forgotten over the last decades. Other terms were started to be used to describe a leader’s activity in a negative light such as ‘manipulator’ and ‘populist’. Tracing back the history of this phenomenon, the author shows that this word now has different shades and meanings. It came from antique Greece and underwent radical changes in its meaning. Initially, the term had no negative meaning. For instance, when Aristotle wanted to express his attitude towards a leader or a governor who could make people follow him by using such methods as speech, actions or gifts, he called him a demagogue. Demagogues actually expressed people’s interests and protected their rights. Tyranny was well known in the Antique times. To protect people from despotism and to express their problems in a rightful way – this was what demagogues strived for. The author of the article also tries to compare the terms ‘social demagogue’ with ‘populism’ and ‘propaganda’.

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