Comparative Study of Social Science Developments in the Period of Totalitarism (Experience of Germany, the Soviet Union and China)

Totalitarian regimes have their own characteristics that reproduce them as much as possible in other fields, especially science and academia. Studying the challenge between the social sciences and totalitarian rule can be instrumental in the development of social science. The purpose of this study is to make a comparative-historical comparison of this relationship at a time of totalitarian rule in Germany, the Soviet Union and China. The study method is comparative-historical and the reported experiences in three cases of Nazi Germany, Soviet Union and Communist China have been compared historically. Data were collected from second-hand sources and analyzes were presented in a comparative-historical manner. The findings show some similarities and differences between Nazi and communist totalitarianism. Nazi totalitarianism had an a-priori negative mentality towards social science and avoided any institutionalization and by creating an obstruction against the activities of scientists, provided the ground for the migration of social thought, while communist totalitarianism had an a-priori positive mentality towards social science and tried to institutionalize and attract scientists in this field to produce favorable social science. Both forms of totalitarianism, at the height of their tyranny, sought a government-dependent, non-critical, quantitative, practical, and useful social science to perpetuate power.