The pedigree of fascism : A popular essay on the Western philosophy of politics

The essay opens with a personal note from an observer who spent over a decade in Italy and wishes to make sense of the country’s dramatic transformation. It aims to give readers with a solid general background a clear picture of how the movement emerged, while warning against both blind admiration and wholesale dismissal. By grounding the discussion in the broader sweep of Western political thought, the author seeks a balanced view that goes beyond partisan accounts.

The first part traces the political roots of the phenomenon: the decline of liberalism, the surge of nationalism, the impact of the European war, and the clash of socialism with traditional authority. It then moves to philosophical antecedents, ranging from Renaissance humanism through seventeenth‑century French ideas to the writings of Vico, Croce and Gentile. Central to the opening chapters is a working definition of the movement as a fresh conception of the relationship between State and citizen, prompting the reader to reconsider what truly counts as a revolution.