[Note: Regarding Post Soviet Union I misspoke. Boris Yeltsin showed alcoholic tendencies, not Vladimir Putin]
What did President Putin mean when he talked about “Philistines”?
An Example of a Typical Modern American Philistine. He Kind of Looks Like a Well Known Politician…in fact a lot of them!
Here is another example of a Thinking Person compared with a philistine.
This article was inspired by Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin, who referred to ‘Thinking people vs philistines’.
Few people know the context of Putin’s remark, so I am writing about it. I think it gives a good idea of Putin’s actual view of Trump, and why that matters as they supposedly negotiate.
President Putin recently made reference to Philistines. Vladimir Putin referred to “thinking people, not philistines, but thinking people, analysts, those who are engaged in real politics, just smart people” , using the term “philistines” to describe individuals who, in his view, are not engaging in thoughtful or analytical political discourse.
Putin, who speaks fluent German, no doubt was familiar with 18th-19th century literature, which refers back to the German writer, Novalis, who disliked materialistic, uneducated people. Goethe, the German equivalent of Shakespeare, and one of the greatest minds that Germany produced likewise held thoughtless, self centered people in disdain.
I would suggest that Putin, in his discussion with Tucker Carlson (see below) was making a subtle swipe at Trump. That’s why Trump is frustrated with Putin. Putin is way ahead of Trump, and understands Trump far better than Trump understands himself–much less anything else! Which is why negotiations go nowhere.
What was Babbit, Sinclair Lewis’ satirical novel, all about?
Sinclair Lewis’s 1922 satirical novel Babbitt provides a quintessential American portrait of the philistine, aligning closely with Novalis’s disdain for materialistic mediocrity. The protagonist, George F. Babbitt, is a prosperous real estate broker in the fictional Midwestern city of Zenith, embodying the epitome of middle-class conformity and boosterism.
Babbitt’s life revolves around superficial successes: closing deals, joining civic clubs like the Boosters’ Club, and parroting clichéd opinions on business, patriotism, and progress without any genuine reflection. He measures worth by material gains—cars, gadgets, and social status—while suppressing any inner doubts or artistic impulses, much like Novalis’s philistines who shun intellectual curiosity for practical utility.
What did German writer, Herman Hesse have to say in his novel Steppenwolf?
In Steppenwolf, the protagonist Harry Haller is a tormented intellectual who feels like a “steppenwolf” (steppe wolf)—a lone outsider torn between his animalistic instincts and higher aspirations. He despises the philistine bourgeoisie, whom he sees as complacent “swine” content with superficial pleasures like jazz music, cinema, and petty social rituals.
These philistines represent a sanitized, emotionless existence that suppresses the chaotic, creative depths of human nature. Haller’s hallucinatory journey through the “Magic Theater” forces him to confront and integrate his fragmented self, critiquing how philistinism numbs people to life’s complexities.
This ties back to Putin’s distinction: Haller’s “thinking” side rebels against the philistine herd mentality, much like Novalis’s call for imaginative transcendence over material drudgery. Hesse’s novel warns that unchecked philistinism leads to societal decay, where “smart people” are marginalized while shallow conformists thrive.
What have these tendencies resulted in nowadays?
- Careerism
- Amorality
- Cynical manipulation
Compare a national leader, Putin, with Donald Trump
Here are two interviews, one of Putin, followed by one of Trump. Listen to both and see what you think. What difference do you see in the style and content of the two respective leaders?
Here are two thinking people:
One of the main differences in the interviews is that Putin spends a lot of time on history. Apparently he thinks that history matters. On the other hand, Trump talks about how great everything is, thanks to him.
Now, consider these two interviews from the question raised in this post. What makes a great leader? What did he mean when Putin talked about ‘Philistines’?
Consider Trump’s background, the son of a wealthy real estate mogul versus Putin, who lives in a city that had been attacked 11 years before he was born, lost a million people, including his own brother.
When he became President of the Russian Federation, the country was in near collapse, partially because Western financial interests engineered its collapse, in concert with local predatory capitalists and out right gangsters.
Do you think their upbringing might affect their world view? What about their respective career trajectories?