[001]
StudiodeKadent
Current Version
Changed line(s) 13 from:
n
Arising from a Continental Counter-Enlightenment philosophical context (for instance, such thinkers as J. G. Fichte, Hegel, and Martin Heidigger (the latter being an actual member of the National Socialist German Worker\'s Party)), Fascism argues for an organic conception of a nation with the State seen as the embodiment of the national spirit. Whereas Marx replaced Hegel\'s Zeitgeist with the \'\'prevailing economic system\'\', Fascists replace Hegel\'s Zeitgeist (or \
to:
Arising from a Continental Counter-Enlightenment philosophical context (for instance, such thinkers as J. G. Fichte, Hegel, and Martin Heidigger (the latter being an actual member of the National Socialist German Worker\\\'s Party)), Fascism argues for an organic conception of a nation with the State seen as the embodiment of the national spirit. Whereas Marx replaced Hegel\\\'s Zeitgeist with the \\\'\\\'prevailing economic system\\\'\\\', Fascists replace Hegel\\\'s Zeitgeist (or \\\"spirit of the age\\\") with the \\\'\\\'spirit of the nation\\\'\\\'. Individuals are seen, fundamentally, as products of the nation (this is similar to Marxian methodological collectivism, but with nationality as the relevant factor, rather than economic class).
This results in a veneration of not just the nation in abstract, but practices seen as fundamental to national identity. This results in (like Conservatism) a reverence for tradition. Traditions are seen as important rituals that connect people to the national spirit.
As such, Fascism tends to support social policy positions regularly called conservative. However, these policy positions are conservative in the \\\'\\\'Oakshottean\\\'\\\' sense of the term; they are considered the right policies because they are consistent with national traditions, rather than because of any pre-existing moral commitments (indeed, many argue that ethical relativism (i.e. what is good for Nation X is not necessarily good for Nation Y) is an integral part of Fascism and a logical consequence of Fascism\\\'s belief in \\\"national spirits\\\"). Indeed, to a Fascist, a moral commitment that \\\"pre-exists\\\" inside an individual\\\'s mind independently of said individual\\\'s nationality is a ridiculous notion; as stated before, Fascism belives individuals are \\\'socially constructed\\\' by their nationality in the same way that Marxism believes individuals are socially constructed by their economic class.
The most infamous element of Fascism is Fascism\\\'s support for [[{{Darwinist}} Social Darwinism]] of various sorts. In Mussolini\\\'s ideology, a level of internal \\\"creative tension\\\" within the components of the nation was seen as beneficial in directing competitive desires towards the service of the State. Hitler\\\'s version of Fascism (National Socialism) believed in a \\\"Master State\\\" where all components of society obeyed the State, but instead posited an evolutionary struggle between various races. [[TheHolocaust We all know where this led]] so further elaboration is not necessary.
Things get more complicated when outlining Fascist economics. Since Fascism is used as an epithet and it is popularly believed that [[HitlerAteSugar if Fascists did it, then it is bad]], a long intellectual battle has been waged over how to characterize the economics of Fascism.
Typically, the term \\\"Corporatism\\\" is used to describe Fascist economics. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism The term comes from \\\'corpus\\\' (Latin for \\\'body\\\')]] and describes a situation where large economic institutions (including representatives from industry bodies, labor groups and the like) are \\\"brought into\\\" the apparatus of the State\\\'s economic planning. The State exercises ultimate control, however, over these groups and whilst there is \\\'\\\'nominal\\\'\\\' private ownership of the means of production (stuff used to make other stuff), this is contingent upon service to the State. Fascist governments also engaged in price fixing and collusion with various economic bodies including industry cartels (fascism even advocates forced cartelization of the economy), labor unions and the like.
This can be both compared and contrasted with State Socialism (a form of Socialism where all the means of production are owned by and controlled by the State). Fascist economics gives the State a similar measure of control over the means of production, but foregoes the ownership element.
Many Classically Liberal critiques of Fascism have argued that ownership of the means of production without control of it means that Fascism is ultimately a variant of State Socialism (indeed, that \\\"ownership without control\\\" is a [[LogicBomb senseless, inherently illogical notion]]).
Fascist economics can also be strongly contrasted with the laissez-faire free market economics favored by Classical Liberals. Whilst both feature private ownership of the means of production, this is only nominal under Fascism, since the control of the means is still ultimately granted to the State. Additionally, Fascism features a State with strong regulatory powers intervening in the economy for the national good.
The mixed economies favored by some Conservatives, some Social Liberals and some forms of Socialists have some similarities to Fascism in the advocacy of a strong central regulatory State. Additionally, many mixed economies contain elements of fascism, such as cartelization and involvement of specific extra-governmental economic institutions as part of government decision-making processes (such as labor unions) and regulatory design.
This results in a veneration of not just the nation in abstract, but practices seen as fundamental to national identity. This results in (like Conservatism) a reverence for tradition. Traditions are seen as important rituals that connect people to the national spirit.
As such, Fascism tends to support social policy positions regularly called conservative. However, these policy positions are conservative in the \\\'\\\'Oakshottean\\\'\\\' sense of the term; they are considered the right policies because they are consistent with national traditions, rather than because of any pre-existing moral commitments (indeed, many argue that ethical relativism (i.e. what is good for Nation X is not necessarily good for Nation Y) is an integral part of Fascism and a logical consequence of Fascism\\\'s belief in \\\"national spirits\\\"). Indeed, to a Fascist, a moral commitment that \\\"pre-exists\\\" inside an individual\\\'s mind independently of said individual\\\'s nationality is a ridiculous notion; as stated before, Fascism belives individuals are \\\'socially constructed\\\' by their nationality in the same way that Marxism believes individuals are socially constructed by their economic class.
The most infamous element of Fascism is Fascism\\\'s support for [[{{Darwinist}} Social Darwinism]] of various sorts. In Mussolini\\\'s ideology, a level of internal \\\"creative tension\\\" within the components of the nation was seen as beneficial in directing competitive desires towards the service of the State. Hitler\\\'s version of Fascism (National Socialism) believed in a \\\"Master State\\\" where all components of society obeyed the State, but instead posited an evolutionary struggle between various races. [[TheHolocaust We all know where this led]] so further elaboration is not necessary.
Things get more complicated when outlining Fascist economics. Since Fascism is used as an epithet and it is popularly believed that [[HitlerAteSugar if Fascists did it, then it is bad]], a long intellectual battle has been waged over how to characterize the economics of Fascism.
Typically, the term \\\"Corporatism\\\" is used to describe Fascist economics. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism The term comes from \\\'corpus\\\' (Latin for \\\'body\\\')]] and describes a situation where large economic institutions (including representatives from industry bodies, labor groups and the like) are \\\"brought into\\\" the apparatus of the State\\\'s economic planning. The State exercises ultimate control, however, over these groups and whilst there is \\\'\\\'nominal\\\'\\\' private ownership of the means of production (stuff used to make other stuff), this is contingent upon service to the State. Fascist governments also engaged in price fixing and collusion with various economic bodies including industry cartels (fascism even advocates forced cartelization of the economy), labor unions and the like.
This can be both compared and contrasted with State Socialism (a form of Socialism where all the means of production are owned by and controlled by the State). Fascist economics gives the State a similar measure of control over the means of production, but foregoes the ownership element.
Many Classically Liberal critiques of Fascism have argued that ownership of the means of production without control of it means that Fascism is ultimately a variant of State Socialism (indeed, that \\\"ownership without control\\\" is a [[LogicBomb senseless, inherently illogical notion]]).
Fascist economics can also be strongly contrasted with the laissez-faire free market economics favored by Classical Liberals. Whilst both feature private ownership of the means of production, this is only nominal under Fascism, since the control of the means is still ultimately granted to the State. Additionally, Fascism features a State with strong regulatory powers intervening in the economy for the national good.
The mixed economies favored by some Conservatives, some Social Liberals and some forms of Socialists have some similarities to Fascism in the advocacy of a strong central regulatory State. Additionally, many mixed economies contain elements of fascism, such as cartelization and involvement of specific extra-governmental economic institutions as part of government decision-making processes (such as labor unions) and regulatory design.
