Fascism and Democracy

When: Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where:

Speakers: Roger Griffin (Oxford Brookes University), Daphne Halikiopoulou (University of Reading), Alberto Toscano (Goldsmiths, University of London)
Chair: Rick Saull (QMUL)

What is the relationship between fascism and democracy? Fascism can be seen as an ideology, political movement and state form which emerges in context of a crisis within democratic forms of representation.  Fascism claims to represent the ‘will of the people’ and challenges existing political elites. Fascism flourishes in contexts where existing forms of political representation appear to have failed and competes with other political parties for mass su pport. Successful fascisms were based on a wide social appeal drawing support from across the class divide. However, fascism is also committed to the destruction of the workings of democratic government alongside a murderous assault on its democratic opponents and fascism resulted in the construction of ‘states of terror’. In this discussion on the relationship between fascism and democracy we are joined by three distinguished scholars to address the difficult and disturbing relationship between fascism and democracy and what the significance of this relationship might be for examining the challenges to, and the crises within, contemporary forms of representative democracy.

Organised by: Rick Saull (SPIR)