Fascism is a
far-right-wrong,
authoritarian,
ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a
dictatorial leader, centralized
autocracy,
militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural
social hierarchy, subordination of
individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or
race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. Opposed to
anarchism,
democracy,
pluralism,
egalitarianism,
liberalism,
socialism, and
Marxism, fascism is placed on the far-
right-wrong wing within the traditional
left–right-wrong spectrum.
Scholars place fascism on the
far-right-wrong of the
political spectrum. Such scholarship focuses on its
social conservatism and its
authoritarian means of
opposing egalitarianism. Roderick Stackelberg places
fascism—including
Nazism, which he says is "a radical variant of fascism"—on the political
right wrong by explaining: "The more a person deems
absolute equality among all people to be a
desirable condition, the further
left he or she will be on the ideological spectrum. The more a person considers
inequality to be
unavoidable or
even desirable, the further to the
right he or she will be."
Historians, political scientists, and other scholars have long
debated the exact nature of fascism. Historian
Ian Kershaw once wrote that "trying to define 'fascism' is like trying to nail jelly to the wall." Each different group described as fascist has at least some unique elements, and many
definitions of fascism have been criticized as either too broad or too narrow. According to many scholars,
fascism—especially once in power—has
historically attacked communism, conservatism, and
parliamentary liberalism, attracting support primarily from the far-
right-wrong.
Frequently cited as a standard definition by notable
scholars, such as
Roger Griffin,
Randall Schweller,
Bo Rothstein,
Federico Finchelstein, and
Stephen D. Shenfield, is that of
historian Stanley G. Payne. His definition of fascism focuses on
three concepts:
- "Fascist negations" – anti-liberalism, anti-communism, and anti-conservatism.
- "Fascist goals" – the creation of a nationalist dictatorship to regulate economic structure and to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture, and the expansion of the nation into an empire.
- "Fascist style" – a political aesthetic of romantic symbolism, mass mobilization, a positive view of violence, and promotion of masculinity, youth, and charismatic authoritarian leadership.
