From the Bible to Machiavelli: 5 books from Alexei Chesnakov to understand politics

Why it is important for a political journalist to read the Bible, "War and Peace" and Machiavelli, as well as understand the logic of argument and the purity of language, was explained by Alexei Chesnakov, Professor at HSE University, during a master meeting at the Young Journalists School at the National Centre RUSSIA. The expert shared a list of five books that help readers better understand politics, society and the cultural environment in which a journalist works.

"Almost the entire cultural environment in which we exist is connected in one way or another with the images and themes set out in the Bible. If you want to understand the environment in which you write and act, knowledge of the Bible is a basic skill for being considered a cultured person," Alexei Chesnakov emphasised.

He reminded that many set expressions, such as "cornerstone" or "my brother’s keeper", come from the Bible, and urged the audience to treat great texts as interlocutors to whom one can return at different ages and discover new meanings each time.

From the biblical tradition, Alexei Chesnakov moved on to Russian classics, in which Leo Tolstoy’s "War and Peace" occupies a central place. According to the expert, the book is studied by military specialists, cultural scholars, journalists and linguists around the world in order to better understand Russia. As "working tools", he singled out Sergei Povarnin’s works "The Art of Argument" and "How to Read Books".

"If you like arguing, read Povarnin: many of his arguments will seem very useful to you. And the short work 'How to Read Books' helps you master reading techniques: what notes are, how to work with arguments and how to remember what you have read. He is an outstanding Russian logician whom I highly recommend," he noted.

Another recommendation, related to language and political style, is George Orwell’s essay "Politics and the English Language", which serves as a universal warning about how living language turns into "grey bureaucratic newspeak" and why the thoughtless use of clichés and empty verbal constructions is dangerous. According to the expert, the problems Orwell describes in relation to English apply fully to the Russian language as well.

Concluding the list, Alexei Chesnakov focused on "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, a book he described as essential to know, but not to follow literally.

"This is a book on the edge, very cynical and difficult to perceive. In politics, there are texts that almost everyone talks about, and 'The Prince' is one of them. You need to know it in order to understand how politicians think, but I would not treat it as a guide to action: many of its pieces of advice are dangerous for your moral character," he noted.

According to the expert, these five books help readers see politics in a broad context — from biblical plots and the image of Russia in world culture to the logic of argument and responsibility for every word. For young journalists who are only beginning their professional journey, such a reading foundation becomes an important part of their future competence and inner support.