{"id":9900,"date":"2026-10-17T19:01:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T19:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T19:01:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T19:01:45","slug":"fascism-historical-definition-political-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Fascism: Why Historical Definitions Matter in Political Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The word \u201cfascism\u201d occupies a particular place in political debate. Often used to denounce an opponent, it may refer in turn to authoritarianism, censorship, violence, nationalism, or intolerance. Yet these realities alone are not enough to characterize a fascist ideology. A definition of fascism requires distinguishing practices shared by several political families from what historically constitutes its specificity.<\/p>\n<p>The issue is not merely lexical. Using a term too broadly can prevent people from understanding the movements they are actually criticizing. Conversely, a more precise definition makes it easier to situate political traditions, their aims, their methods of action, and their differences.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Why_violence_or_censorship_alone_do_not_define_fascism\" >Why violence or censorship alone do not define fascism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#A_concept_debated_by_historians\" >A concept debated by historians<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#The_main_features_associated_with_fascism\" >The main features associated with fascism<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Political_religion\" >Political religion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#The_party-state\" >The party-state<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Militias_and_the_militarization_of_society\" >Militias and the militarization of society<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#A_revolution_in_the_service_of_a_reactionary_ideal\" >A revolution in the service of a reactionary ideal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Anti-egalitarianism_anti-liberalism_and_anti-Marxism\" >Anti-egalitarianism, anti-liberalism, and anti-Marxism<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Is_fascism_right-wing_or_left-wing\" >Is fascism right-wing or left-wing?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Avoiding_labels_that_replace_analysis\" >Avoiding labels that replace analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#FAQ_Understanding_the_definition_of_fascism\" >FAQ: Understanding the definition of fascism<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Is_fascism_simply_another_word_for_dictatorship\" >Is fascism simply another word for dictatorship?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Is_censorship_necessarily_fascist\" >Is censorship necessarily fascist?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/#Does_fascism_necessarily_belong_to_the_far_right\" >Does fascism necessarily belong to the far right?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_violence_or_censorship_alone_do_not_define_fascism\"><\/span>Why violence or censorship alone do not define fascism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Political violence, restrictions on freedoms, control of information, and the designation of groups as responsible for collective difficulties are regularly associated with fascism. These phenomena did indeed exist in fascist regimes. However, they are not exclusive to them.<\/p>\n<p>Censorship, for example, can be practiced in very different ideological systems. Likewise, violence, intolerance, or dogmatism can appear in many political traditions. Using them as the sole criteria therefore extends the label of fascism indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p>This imprecision leads to equating any freedom-restricting behavior with fascism. Yet several ideologies, both before and after the historical emergence of fascism, have limited freedoms or repressed their opponents. The existence of a shared feature is not enough to establish an ideological identity.<\/p>\n<p>The same reasoning applies to hasty analogies. Calling a movement, a religion, or a political opponent \u201cfascist\u201d does not necessarily reveal its nature. A comparison may serve a polemical purpose, but it does not replace historical analysis.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_concept_debated_by_historians\"><\/span>A concept debated by historians<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The definition of fascism is the subject of historiographical debate. Several works are used to address it, including <em>What Is Fascism?<\/em> by Emilio Gentile, <em>Fascist Movements in Europe<\/em> by Ernst Nolte, <em>A Brief History of Fascism<\/em> by Renzo De Felice, and <em>The Revolutionary Right<\/em> by Zeev Sternhell.<\/p>\n<p>These discussions show that it is difficult to reduce fascism to a single formula. It is more relevant to identify it through a combination of characteristics than through an isolated behavior or a political insult.<\/p>\n<p>One proposed framework identifies seven elements: political religion; the party-state; the presence of militias and the militarization of society; a revolutionary strategy combined with a reactionary ideal; radical anti-egalitarianism; hostility to liberalism and Marxism; and, finally, a belief in technological progress without an equivalent belief in moral progress.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_main_features_associated_with_fascism\"><\/span>The main features associated with fascism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Political_religion\"><\/span>Political religion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Political religion refers to the elevation of politics to the status of a total belief system. In this logic, ideology, the nation, or the state are no longer merely subjects of debate: they become principles to which the individual must fully adhere. This dimension goes beyond the simple defense of strongly held political convictions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_party-state\"><\/span>The party-state<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Fascism is also associated with the fusion of a single party and the state. The party is no longer one actor among others in political competition: it structures access to institutions, social organization, and the representation of the national community. This logic differs from a pluralist system, even when that system is highly conflictual.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Militias_and_the_militarization_of_society\"><\/span>Militias and the militarization of society<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The presence of political militias and the valorization of militarization constitute another important benchmark. This is not simply a matter of respect for the military or a desire to maintain order. The distinctive feature lies in transforming society according to martial codes and in using paramilitary political organizations.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_revolution_in_the_service_of_a_reactionary_ideal\"><\/span>A revolution in the service of a reactionary ideal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Fascism can also combine a desire for a radical break with existing society and an imaginary of restoration. This association between revolutionary strategy and a reactionary ideal helps explain why it cannot be equated with either classical conservatism or liberalism.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anti-egalitarianism_anti-liberalism_and_anti-Marxism\"><\/span>Anti-egalitarianism, anti-liberalism, and anti-Marxism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In this reading, fascism rests on radical anti-egalitarianism and is also defined by its opposition to both liberalism and Marxism. These elements must nevertheless be understood together. Rejection of Marxism alone clearly does not characterize fascism; it is shared by many political movements.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, fascism may value technology and material progress while challenging the idea of continuous moral progress for humanity. This distinction between technological and moral progress is among the benchmarks used to define its worldview.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_fascism_right-wing_or_left-wing\"><\/span>Is fascism right-wing or left-wing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The place of fascism on the left-right spectrum remains controversial. A thesis widespread in some right-wing circles presents it as a left-wing ideology, notably because of Benito Mussolini\u2019s early career within Italian socialism.<\/p>\n<p>Mussolini was an important figure in the Italian Socialist Party before being expelled from it in 1914 because of his support for the war. He subsequently moved away from pacifism, humanism, class struggle, and democracy when he developed fascism.<\/p>\n<p>According to the interpretation presented here, fascism may have taken up a social and revolutionary dimension originating on the left while rejecting its other foundations. This partial lineage would therefore not be sufficient to classify it as left-wing. The view that places fascism in that political family is presented as a minority position among historians, while another interpretation places it within the broad family of the right and, more specifically, the far right.<\/p>\n<p>This classification does not mean that the entire right is fascist. A political family cannot be reduced to one of its components, any more than the existence of shared ideas is enough to erase the fundamental differences between movements.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Avoiding_labels_that_replace_analysis\"><\/span>Avoiding labels that replace analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Calling anti-fascist activists fascists solely on the grounds that they are violent or intolerant involves the same conceptual difficulty. Violence and intolerance can be criticized in themselves, but they do not constitute sufficient proof of adherence to fascism.<\/p>\n<p>Politics involves conflicts of values and limits to what a group considers acceptable. That does not make every political position fascist. To preserve the word\u2019s historical meaning, it is necessary to identify a coherent set of principles, institutions, and methods: political cult, party-state, militant organization, a project for social transformation, and the radical rejection of equality, liberalism, and Marxism.<\/p>\n<p>Precision in terminology does not neutralize disagreement. Rather, it makes it more intelligible. Instead of reducing an opponent to a label, it encourages examination of their ideas and their relationship to the state, pluralism, freedoms, violence, and the organization of society.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_Understanding_the_definition_of_fascism\"><\/span>FAQ: Understanding the definition of fascism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_fascism_simply_another_word_for_dictatorship\"><\/span>Is fascism simply another word for dictatorship?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Dictatorship and repression can exist in other political systems. Fascism is instead recognized through a combination of ideological and institutional features, including the party-state, political religion, militias, and radical anti-egalitarianism.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_censorship_necessarily_fascist\"><\/span>Is censorship necessarily fascist?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Censorship can be used by very different regimes and movements. It may be one element present in a fascist regime, without being its exclusive criterion.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_fascism_necessarily_belong_to_the_far_right\"><\/span>Does fascism necessarily belong to the far right?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This classification is debated. The interpretation presented here places it within the family of the right, more specifically the far right, while emphasizing that fascism cannot be used to define the right as a whole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The term \u201cfascism\u201d is frequently used as a political accusation. A historical approach, however, calls for distinguishing its specific features\u2014party-state, political religion, militias, and radical anti-egalitarianism\u2014from more widely shared practices such as censorship or violence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-off"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.6 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fascism: Why Historical Definitions Matter in Political Debate - The Pilule<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepilule.com\/en\/fascism-historical-definition-political-debate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fascism: Why Historical Definitions Matter in Political Debate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The term \u201cfascism\u201d is frequently used as a political accusation. 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