Mussolini and Gentile | "The Doctrine of Fascism" | Philosophers Explained | Stephen Hicks

Philosophers, Explained covers major philosophers and texts, especially the great classics. In each episode, Professor Hicks discusses an important work, doing a close reading that lasts 40 minutes to an hour.

In this episode, Dr. Hicks discusses the essay "The Doctrine of Fascism" (1932) jointly written by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and Professor Giovanni Gentile.

Benito Mussolini(1883-1945) was an Italian journalist and politician. He was the founder and leader of the National Fascist Party in Italy. He was the Prime Minister of Italy from 1922-1943. Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944) was an Italian neo-Hegelian philosopher.

Timestamps:

00:00 A quote and introduction
00:58 The text
01:29 Fascism defined
02:18 Not just opportunistic politics
03:10 What kind of philosophy? Hegelianism.
04:00 Fascism is a spiritual attitude
06:51 This is an ethical system
09:08 Life is not about happiness
10:35 Liberalism denied the state
11:52 Conception of the state as totalitarian
15:45 Democracy is rejected
17:29 What do we mean by the collective?
19:08 The state has a will of its own
20:27 Fascism is a lawgiver, founder of institutions and an educator
21:52 Mussolini founds fascism
27:02 Fascism is not about the easy life
27:46 Fascism rejects peace and embraces war
32:20 Fascism rejects democracy
33:38 Rejection of reason as widespread
35:37 A spiritual collective
37:32 Fascism is totalitarian but pragmatic
43:38 It does not totally deny the individual
45:45 Fascism is not opposed to imperialism

Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University, USA, and has had visiting positions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., University of Kasimir the Great in Poland, Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College in England, and Jagiellonian University in Poland.

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