What is fascism? Is it returning? These are concerns that loom on the horizon of Western societies given the growth in popularity of illiberal nationalist politicians and parties. But does this indicate a return of fascism, or something different entirely? Might we instead move to totalitarianism or authoritarianism without a radical Communist or Fascist movement to get us there?
Fascism seemed to have been put in the dustbin of history after the second world war. However, various very small right-wing and nationalist movements have resurfaced occasionally ever since. In recent decades these seem to have grown and begun to more forcefully challenge the liberal post-war consensus.
We will have in mind the fascist movements and governments of the inter-war period. However, the focus will be on the ideas and ideologies, and the work of thinkers who sought to understand the ideologies and thought patterns behind their leaders and supporters. What did the fascists support or oppose and why? In particular, how does fascism relate to other political movements and philosophies?
The task of understanding fascists is made more difficult because fascists seem to live in a different reality to the rest of society. It can be hard to understand or engage with them because they do not accept the common views of truth, value or understanding. Fascists will reject the very starting assumptions of liberalism such as respect for individuals, basic equality
We will therefore seek out the core tenets of fascism and consider how this varies from or shares similarity with other political positions such as national populism, “illiberal democracy” and authoritarian conservativism.
This short non-accredited course will encourage students to read samples from a variety of sources and share their thoughts with others who are curious about developments and spread of different forms of political thinking and action in the social media age. Students will be given the opportunity to share their findings about current political movements from around the world and the extent to which they fit the definition of fascism.