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<p>This paper examines the paradox of performative ideological sincerity within totalitarian regimes by analyzing <i>Noviy Mir</i>’s 1956 rejection of Boris Pasternak’s novel <i>Doctor Zhivago</i>. Rather than viewing this rejection as merely bureaucratic automatism or cynical pragmatism, the study argues that the editors displayed a form of ideological sincerity rooted in performative adherence, despite clear awareness of Stalinist crimes. Through a critical reinterpretation of Hannah Arendt’s concept of “thoughtlessness” and Victor Klemperer’s insights into propagandistic clichés, the paper introduces “thoughtless thinking” as a form of cognition performatively committed to ideology but indifferent to its substantive meaning. This thought neutralizes factual reality through repetitive, authoritative discourse, converting genuine ideological belief into ritualized performance. By investigating the interplay among memory, propaganda, and reflective judgment, the paper demonstrates how Soviet censorship operated on performative ideological sincerity that corrupted its ability to make sense of both the past and the present.</p>

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Thoughtless thinking: Arendt, Klemperer and Noviy Mir

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月22日

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  • Elad Magomedov

摘要

This paper examines the paradox of performative ideological sincerity within totalitarian regimes by analyzing Noviy Mir’s 1956 rejection of Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago. Rather than viewing this rejection as merely bureaucratic automatism or cynical pragmatism, the study argues that the editors displayed a form of ideological sincerity rooted in performative adherence, despite clear awareness of Stalinist crimes. Through a critical reinterpretation of Hannah Arendt’s concept of “thoughtlessness” and Victor Klemperer’s insights into propagandistic clichés, the paper introduces “thoughtless thinking” as a form of cognition performatively committed to ideology but indifferent to its substantive meaning. This thought neutralizes factual reality through repetitive, authoritative discourse, converting genuine ideological belief into ritualized performance. By investigating the interplay among memory, propaganda, and reflective judgment, the paper demonstrates how Soviet censorship operated on performative ideological sincerity that corrupted its ability to make sense of both the past and the present.