The political ideology of fascism and Modernity

Abstract

This article re-examines the relationship between fascist ideology and the values of Modernity, challenging the widespread interpretation that fascism is merely a form of "political Luddism" or an atavistic regression to mythic thought. The author argues that fascism possesses a dual nature, functioning as a synthesis of technocracy and anti-modernism. The study traces the roots of fascism to the cultural pessimism following World War I and analyzes its complex relationship with Romanticism, emphasizing that while it utilized Romantic myths and anti-Enlightenment rhetoric, it simultaneously embraced industrialization and modern technology. By evaluating both Italian Fascism and German Nazism—specifically the concept of "reactionary modernism"—the paper concludes that fascism represents the destruction of Modernity’s values using Modernity’s own technical means.