NowComment
2-Pane Combined
Comments:
Full Summaries Sorted

Characteristics of a Fascist Citizen (Italy, 1922-1945) copy 01

Adapted from Umberto Eco's essay "On Ur-Fascism," which specifically considered Italian fascism.

  1. Cult of tradition: the Italian fascists upheld a mythical (and false) account of pre-modern history.
  2. Rejection of modernism: they rejected the achievments of the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, which they considered to mark the beginning of the downfall of Western civilization.
  3. Action for action's sake: fascists were expected to act decisively and on instinct. Reflection or thoughtfulness were considered weak.
  4. Disagreement is treason: the scientific method teaches us that knowledge is produced through analysis and disagreement. Italian fascists believed that reality was created by power. To critique someone was the same as attacking them.
  5. Fear of difference: fascists had a deep fear/hatred of people who were unlike them.
  6. Appeal to a frustrated middle class: Italy was struggling economically when Mussolini came to power. Many middle class people felt humiliated because their privileges/standard of living had diminished.
  7. Obsession conspiracy: unable to comprehend the reasons for their diminished circumstances, Italian fascists became convinced that they were the victims of a plot or betrayal. The perpetrators of this betrayal were often (falsely) thought to be minorities.
  8. Enemies are portrayed as both too strong and too weak: seemingly contradictory, but the enemies of fascism are described as both an all powerful conspiracy destroying society and weak, cowardly, and subhuman.
  9. Pacifism is treason: refusing to take part in fascist violence was considered a betrayal.
  10. Contempt for the weak: those who suffered were blamed for their own suffering. This partially explains why the middle class could not accept that their own suffering was the result of anything other than a conspiracy of betrayal.
  11. Everybody is educated to become a hero: the ideal man in fascist society was a war hero.
  12. Machismo: fascists expressed disdain for women and homosexuals, whom they regarded as weak.
  13. Selective populism: populism is a political strategy where an appeal is made to people who feel unrepresented by the political system. But fascists where very selective in what kind of person they upheld as the "voice of the people."
  14. Use of an impoverished vocabulary: fascism was anti-intellectual, in part to limit the critical thinking skills of the people.

DMU Timestamp: September 03, 2020 08:33





Image
0 comments, 0 areas
add area
add comment
change display
Video
add comment

Quickstart: Commenting and Sharing

How to Comment
  • Click icons on the left to see existing comments.
  • Desktop/Laptop: double-click any text, highlight a section of an image, or add a comment while a video is playing to start a new conversation.
    Tablet/Phone: single click then click on the "Start One" link (look right or below).
  • Click "Reply" on a comment to join the conversation.
How to Share Documents
  1. "Upload" a new document.
  2. "Invite" others to it.

Logging in, please wait... Blue_on_grey_spinner