Abstract
Recent contributions to the politics of identity and the rise in authoritarianism or “fascist creep” are criticized for their failure to take account of psychoanalytic insights into the libidinality of belonging, othering, and hating. In this context, crucial distinctions between the interlinked processes of oppression, suppression, and repression are outlined. Despite its substantial flaws, Wilhelm Reich’s 1933 essay on fascism is credited for its emphasis on the erotic underpinnings of authoritarianism and its associated phenomena. It is regretted that subsequent psychoanalytic and psychoanalytically-oriented critiques relevant to the rise of fascism have usually ignored the significance of libidinality. It is further suggested that the erotics of identity and belonging, as well as the ubiquitous dynamics of domination/subjugation, should be examined via a psychoanalytic (and materialist) reconsideration of Hegel’s discussion of the master/slave dialectic.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Drs Randy Earnest, Andreas Peglau and Jerry Piven for interesting discussions I have had with them on these and related topics over recent years. I would also like to dedicate this essay to the memory of Professor Tod S. Sloan (1952–2018), a scholar-activist committed to the relevance of psychological and psychoanalytic thinking to the challenges of our contemporary world.
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Barratt, B.B. Psychoanalytic notes on the erotic politics of fascism and authoritarianism. Psychoanal Cult Soc 26, 118–128 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-020-00181-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-020-00181-6