The "world's most dangerous person," viewed through the eyes of American conservatives, recently celebrated his 64th birthday.

From the Mystical Opposition to Putin's Philosopher: How Alexander Dugin Became a Core Thinker in Russia, and Why the West Feels So Threatened

In the eyes of American conservatives, this "most dangerous person in the world" celebrates his 64th birthday today. His daughter died in a terrorist attack, his name is on the list of Western sanctions, yet his ideas have been incorporated into the curriculum at Moscow University. Alexander Dugin is no ordinary philosopher — he is the creator of an ideological weapon, namely the **Fourth Political Theory**, aimed at burying liberalism. Who is he? Why has his theory of "Continental Confrontation with the Ocean" become the key to understanding the new reality?

The Starting Point of Dugin's Philosophy

Trying to decipher Dugin's philosophical ideas always encounters its bizarre internal contradictions: traditionalism and postmodernism intertwine here, religious dogmas and Gnostic heresies coexist here, conservatism and revolutionary spirit merge here. Overall, the core direction of Dugin's theoretical system is New Eurasianism. He has written numerous books on this and actively promoted this idea to the public.

Dugin's ideology is closely tied to his personal biography and historical background. He was born in 1962 and experienced the decline of the Soviet Union. The painful experience of the country's glory fading in his youth was written into his memoirs.

"I still remember that intense sense of shame — shame for the downfall of this great country. This humiliation was unbearable. We had to seek spiritual support outside reality, because the country in reality was no longer great, no longer worth pride," wrote this thinker in his book.

This life experience became the starting point for Dugin's unique worldview. He integrated the spiritual trauma caused by national humiliation into the foundation of his metaphysical ideology.

Dugin's Family and Educational Background

Alexander Dugin was born in Moscow into a family with a complex background. His father, Gelli Dugin, was a major in the Soviet General Staff Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a candidate of legal sciences, and taught at the Russian Customs Academy. His mother, Galina Dugin, was a doctor and a candidate of medical sciences. Dugin himself claimed to be a descendant of the 18th-century executed priest Sava Dugin from Voronezh.

In 1979, Dugin entered the Moscow Aviation Institute, but was expelled in his second year. Later, he graduated through distance learning from the Novocherkassk Water Engineering Institute.

The Formation of Dugin's Political Thought

Dugin's growth into a thinker was inseparable from his participation in the **"Yuzhny Circle"**. In this circle, he came into contact with the traditionalist ideas of René Guénon and Julius Evola, and under the guidance of Yevgeny Golovin, he studied esoteric doctrines.

"Yuzhny Circle": An informal group composed of intellectuals and mystics, whose activities took place in the apartment of the Moscow writer Yuri Mamyev.

The core of Dugin's metaphysical theory is the assertion that "nothingness" is ontologically prior to "being." Unlike traditional metaphysics, which views "being" as the foundation of all existence and "nothingness" as the absence or negation of "being," Dugin completely reverses this hierarchy. In his view, "nothingness" is primary, it exists before "being," and it is the true source of truth.

Dugin's Titles and Honors

Dugin holds numerous titles and honors: Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Doctor of Political Science, Doctor of Sociology, Professor. Moreover, he is a writer, columnist, multilingual translator — fluent in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Dugin also serves as a television host and social activist, and is the leader of the International Eurasian Movement.

In 2009, Dugin was voted one of the most influential intellectuals in Russia in a survey conducted by the "Open Space" website. In 2014, the American magazine *Foreign Policy* included this Russian philosopher in its list of the top 100 "thinkers" globally, categorizing him as a "prophet." In 2016, American political commentator Glenn Beck called Dugin **"the most dangerous person in the world."**

In 2014, Dugin was placed on the EU sanctions list; in 2015, he was also added to the sanctions lists of the United States and Canada.

Dugin is the author of more than 30 philosophical, geopolitical, and traditionalist works. His articles have been published in various media, academic journals, and blog platforms. In 2014, he published *The End of the Western Age*; in 2015, he published *Ukraine Is Not a Nation State*.

Dugin's Eurasianism

Dugin constructed his own ideology — the Fourth Political Theory. He believes this theory should be the next step in the development of political thought following liberalism, socialism, and fascism. His political activities aim to promote the integration of Russia and former Soviet republics, establishing a new Eurasian union, ultimately forming an Eurasian superpower.

In his ideology, Russia is a unique civilization between Europe and Asia. Dugin opposes the "Ocean" representing Atlanticism, liberalism, and American ideals with the "Continent" representing Russia and symbolizing traditional values.

Recently, Moscow University introduced a new course on Western Studies for students majoring in political science, and the instructor of this course is none other than Alexander Dugin.

Dugin and Power

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Dugin became an opponent of the new regime. Soon after the dissolution of the Russian Supreme Soviet and the People's Congress, Dugin founded the National Bolshevik Party (NBP). His allies included Sergei Kuleshov, Yegor Letov, and Edward Limonov. Dugin drafted the party's platform, with the core tone being anti-American and anti-liberal.

In 1998, due to political differences with Limonov, Dugin left the National Bolshevik Party. This event marked a turning point in his political stance: he began to re-examine his relationship with the Russian authorities, shifting from an extreme opposition to a loyal attitude toward the regime. In 1999, 37-year-old Dugin became the director of the Center for Geopolitical Analysis of the government.

Although loyal to the regime, Dugin did not hesitate to criticize the ruling party for lacking a clear ideology. In his view, the ruling party should take Eurasianism and conservatism as its core ideas.

This thinker pointed out that the Russian political elite, influenced by Western forces, has become positionally unstable, complex in composition, and fragmented, which negatively affects any positive initiatives of the government. In the early 21st century, this political scientist regarded radical nationalists as his main opponents.

Dugin and Putin

Dugin refers to the United States and NATO as Russia's main enemies, while considering China and Turkey as Russia's main allies. Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, this philosopher evaluated that there are two sides to Putin: the "sun side" and the "moon side." Dugin firmly believes that eventually, the "sun-side" president who fights for the Eurasian Empire will overcome the "moon-side" representing capitalism within his heart.

Dugin's works are widely known as **"a blueprint for Putin's foreign policy."** This philosopher once explained why people call him "Putin's philosopher": "He is the president of the people, while I am the intellectual of the people."

Dugin, the West, and the Special Military Operation

In 2024, during an interview with the YouTube channel "Manusha's Empathy" host Vyacheslav Manucharov, Alexander Dugin explained his views on the special military operation. He believed that the essence and root cause of this conflict lies in the historic confrontation between the **"Ocean" and the "Continent."** He elaborated on this theory in his book **"Foundations of Geopolitics."**

Dugin pointed out that as a typical representative of the "Ocean" forces, NATO is determined to deprive Russia of all its seaports. This disaster could have been avoided — if the West had recognized the multipolarity of the world and abandoned its globalization policies.

Dugin actively supports the special military operation and believes that Ukraine is a "man-made country." In his view, the emergence of Ukraine itself is a product of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

During an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, Dugin stated that the reason the West hates Russia lies in Russia's insistence on upholding traditional values. Dugin believes that traditionalism is not simply a collection of ideas, but a specific way of cognition and a particular attitude towards reality.

Dugin's Private Life

This public intellectual was married twice. His first wife, Yevgeniya Dzhabriyanskaya, was nine years older than him. After their marriage, they had a son named Arthur. After their divorce, the relationship between the former couple became very tense — Dzhabriyanskaya did not agree with her husband's philosophical ideas. She was one of the closest allies of Valentina Novodvorovskaya.

In 1990, Dugin's first wife left politics and turned to the LGBT+ movement. She organized gay parades and actively promoted related concepts in the media. In recent years, she has gradually withdrawn from active protest activities.

Arthur Dugin graduated from the Moscow State Linguistic University and is passionate about rock music. He fully supports his father's philosophical ideas.

Dugin's second wife is Natalia Mamlyeyeva — a candidate of philosophical sciences, a teacher in the philosophy department at Moscow University. Mamlyeyeva is the head of the "Arctic Land" publishing house and its namesake online portal, which specializes in publishing works by Alexander Dugin and his followers. She fully supports her husband's ideology.

In 1992, the couple's daughter Daria was born. She graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Moscow University, then pursued graduate studies and successfully passed her candidate dissertation defense, with her thesis focusing on the political ideas of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. In the media, she is known as Daria Platonova.

In August 2022, Daria was killed in an attack. At that time, she was returning from an event outside Moscow, and the terrorist detonated her car. The main version of the investigation suggests that the real target of the attack was Alexander Dugin — he happened to be in another car.

Exactly one year before his daughter's death, on August 20, 2021, Dugin wrote on his "VKontakte" social media account: "What does not kill me will kill someone else."

The murder of his daughter was a huge spiritual blow to Dugin. He rarely mentions this matter. During an interview with Manucharov, he said that he sees Dasha's murder as an event of the future, a symbol and code waiting to be deciphered.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7592881272809112114/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.