On the Rise of Fascism
I am worried.
The last couple of years it has felt like the development of nationalistic tendencies has been escalating.
It’s not only in the US. It’s also here in Sweden, and I believe it’s everywhere in the West. The social media climate is harsh, very polarised and divided between what the nationalistic conservatives want to call right vs left. But I don’t think it has much to do with the political right or left anymore, I think it has to do with prejudice, fear, ego/adult development (or the lack there of), i.e. psychology.
It has to do with having or not having the cognitive ability to understand complexity, and the emotional maturity to accept it and not feel threatened or stressed by it. Conservatives seek homogeneity. They can’t accept differences.
And their solutions are starting to look a lot like fascism.
Let’s take a look at some aspects of fascism in comparison with humanism.
Fascism and humanism represent polar opposite worldviews regarding morality, empathy, and human value. Humanism is a democratic, secular life stance that emphasizes the universal dignity of all humans and uses empathy and reason to improve welfare. Fascism is an exclusionary, authoritarian ideology that prioritises the power of the state or a specific master race or group above individual human worth, relying on aggression and dehumanization of “others” (like minorities, immigrants, or political opponents) to justify their exclusion or destruction and to maintain control.
Humanist morality is based on the human experience, rather than externally imposed dogmas. It relies on reason and compassion to reduce suffering, arguing that actions are good if they promote human flourishing. Individual differences are welcome because all people are inherently different, and in order to flourish, people need to feel accepted.
Fascism treats morality as a practical instrument of power rather than a protection of human life, frequently glorifying war and struggle. Homogeneity is the basic principle. Fascism encourages aggression and anger to strengthen the collective and demands that individuals prioritize the state over their own personal feelings.
Empathy is foundational to humanism, whereas fascism is defined by a distinct lack of empathy, often viewing it as a sign of weakness. If empathy is present it is often very selective.
In essence, humanism views the human as the center of value, while fascism treats the individual as a expendable part of a greater, often destructive, collective machine.
Summary
| Feature | Humanism | Fascism |
|---|---|---|
| Human Value | Universal, inherent, and equal. | Exclusive, hierarchical, “us vs. them”. |
| Morality | Empathetic, rational, promotes flourishing. | Based on violence, power, and obedience. |
| Empathy | A necessary virtue for human connection. Can have compassion for all people. | Derided as a sign of weakness. Can only have empathy for own group. |
| Core Goal | Individual freedom and happiness. | Totalitarian state power and conformity. People are tools for the state. |
| View of Others | Tolerance and understanding. | Dehumanization and scapegoating. |
This development makes me worried, all in itself, but it is also worrysome when we are talking about schools. The type of school we promote is not producing the kind of people the right-wingers want for their controlled, homogeneous world.
Focusing on emotional and relational skills development, learning democracy through being a part of it, and learning to rely on one-self and take responsibility of one’s own learning, are not values they see as important. Instead they want schools that prioritises strict discipline and high academic expectations. Like “No Excuses” schools, with key features including longer school days, teacher-led instruction, rigid behavior codes, and frequent testing.
But, even though those schools can create better short-term results – that is, making part of the students get higher grades – they also exclude and leave behind a lot of children. And having a rigid and maybe even punitive “pedagogical” philosophy will only boost the psychology that makes people become fascists. It doesn’t promote personal development, democracy or life-long learning.
I would argue that it has never been more important to do the exact opposite. Liberate learning, focus on personal development and maybe we can stop this frightening development.
Written by Sarah Rosendahl