Italian Fascism is often viewed as a unique occurrence in European history, but James Gregor argues it shares significant similarities with a broader category of developmental revolutionary regimes. By challenging conventional perspectives, Gregor invites readers to reconsider the characteristics and influences of Italian Fascism within a wider political context, suggesting it is part of a larger narrative of revolutionary movements.
The book critically examines the claims of contemporary radicals identifying as "Marxists," contrasting their ideologies with those of Marx and Engels. A. James Gregor argues that modern mass movements resemble Mussolini's Fascism more than classical Marxism. He proposes a new framework for analyzing today's totalitarian movements and established regimes, highlighting the significant ideological shifts that have occurred since the time of Marx and Engels.
The book critically examines the efforts of social scientists to identify neofascism in contemporary society, highlighting flaws in their methodologies. It argues that the term "neofascist" is often misused for defamation rather than accurate identification of political movements or regimes with specific characteristics. The discussion extends to the practical implications of these mischaracterizations, encouraging a more nuanced understanding of neofascism in the modern context.
Offers an account of the intellectual figures of Italian Fascism, tracing how
the movement's ideas evolved in response to social and political developments
inside and outside of Italy. This book follows Fascist thought from its
beginnings in socialist ideology through its evolution into a separate body of
thought and to its destruction.
Are we witnessing the return of fascism? The recent shift to the political right across the globe has prompted many to announce the renewed rise of a political ideology that most thought overcome with World War II. Jihadists, anti-Jihadists, perpetrators of isolated acts of terrorism, politicians using hate-speech -- suddenly all of these are frequently and indiscriminately labelled as 'fascist' by the media and in public discourse. 'Fascism' has become an inextricable part of our everyday vocabulary, and in the process has been reduced to an all but entirely emotive term with little, if any, substance. In this timely, much-needed intervention, one of the world's leading experts on fascism disentangles the confusion this misuse causes. Retracing the sometimes obscure passage of fascism from one time to another, A. James Gregor reclaims the term and shows how it has shaped the global political landscape over more than half a century. Captivating, informative, and urgent, Gregor's insightful account helps to clarify the history of radical politics in the last 60 years.
Totalitární systémy, které se zrodily ve 20. století, se prezentovaly jako sekulární. A. James Gregor však ukazuje, že tyto systémy – marxismus, fašismus a národní socialismus – samy fungovaly jako svého druhu náboženství. Předkládá intelektuální dějiny vzniku těchto politických náboženství, v nichž sleduje působení určitých idejí, např. přesvědčení, že jisté texty mohou obsahovat nezpochybnitelnou pravdu; koncept neomylného charismatického vůdce; víru ve vykoupení lidstva skrze poslušnost, sebeobětování, bezvýhradnou oddanost a neochabující práci.
Autor nabízí jedinečný vhled do různých forem totalitarismů a pokouší se objasnit ideje, které ve dvacátém století inspirovaly mnohé lidi a přesvědčily je, aby žili, pracovali, obětovali se, byli poslušní a bojovali a umírali v jejich službách.
