Why is The Possessed associated with warnings about political extremism and totalitarianism?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1872 novel The Possessed (also known as The Devils) is widely regarded as a prophetic work that warns against the dangers of political extremism and totalitarianism.12

The novel’s reputation as a political warning stems from several key themes:

• The Logic of Despotism: Through the character Shigalyov, Dostoyevsky articulates a chilling trajectory for revolutionary movements: "Starting with unlimited freedom, I arrive at unlimited despotism". The novel illustrates how the pursuit of a forced utopia necessitates the total suppression of individuality and independent thought.2
• Anticipation of Totalitarian Policy: The revolutionary leader Pyotr Verkhovensky predicts that, in the name of equality, society will eventually destroy its greatest minds—stating that "Cicero will have his tongue cut out, Copernicus will have his eyes put out, Shakespeare will be stoned". These lines are frequently cited as a direct anticipation of the cultural policies later enacted by Soviet and Maoist regimes.2
• The "Professional Revolutionary": The book depicts a cell of conspirators whose rigid, centralized discipline and absolute conviction that they know the "interests of the masses" mirror the development of professional revolutionary movements.23

Dostoyevsky viewed these radical ideologies as a spiritual sickness that threatened to destroy Russia by replacing traditional morality and faith with destructive, materialist dogma.124