Can we use the term "fascism" as a broad label to group together different regimes throughout history, even if they arose in different times and places? Do they share enough characteristics to justify calling them all "fascist"? In his forthcoming book Fascism: The History of a Word (The University of Chicago Press, 2025), Federico Marcon explores the history of the word "fascism" and how it has changed since it was first used in 1919. Marcon traces how the word has been used around the world by different groups for various political purposes, and how key figures like Mussolini, fascist activists, anti-fascists, historians, political scientists, artists, and philosophers have shaped our understanding of the term "fascism."
This event is organized by the Questions of Fascism and Democracy Lecture Series led by CES Resident Faculties Peter E. Gordon and CES Director Daniel Ziblatt. It is also co-sponsored by the Democracy and Its Critics Initiative at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES).
