The Long Arc of Fascism

Current debates over whether a given political leader or regime deserves to be described as "fascist" often pivot around the question: How much does this person or government closely mimic the genocidal far-right movements that took power in Europe in the 1920 - 30s? Such discussions assume mid-20th Century fascism to be a rupture or aberration in a fundamentally sound Western civilization built around the institutions of liberal democracy and capitalism. This seminar will disrupt these assumptions, exploring ways that political authoritarianism and genocidal practices have been intrinsic to, and inseparable from, capitalist modernity.