This paper examines the ideological framework of Narodnichestvo through the lens of Alexandre Kojève's reinterpretation of Hegel's master-slave dialectic. Narodnichestvo focusd its ideology on the emancipation and moral primacy of the peasantry while paradoxically positioning intellectuals as the vanguard of revolutionary change, as exemplified in the "going to the people" campaign. Using Kojève’s dialectic, I argue that this dynamic reveals a tension between the intellectual "master" as the conscious agent of historical progress and the peasant "slave" as the objectified subject of liberation. This relationship underscores the inherent contradictions in the attempts of the Narodnichestvo to reconcile revolutionary paternalism with its populist ethos. By situating Narodnichestvo within this dialectical framework, this paper provides a novel interpretation of its ideological struggles and sheds light on broader questions of agency, emancipation, and power in populist movements.
