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Origins and Doctrine of Fascism: With Selections from Other Works
Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944) was the major theorist of Italian fascism, supplying its justification and rationale as a developmental form of dictatorship for status-deprived nations languishing on the margins of the Great Powers. Gentile's "actualism" (as his philosophy came to be called) absorbed many intellectual currents of the early twentieth century, including nationalism, syndicalism, and futurism. He called the individual to an idealistic ethic of obedience, work, self-sacrifi ce, and national community in a dynamic rebellion against the perceived impostures of imperialism. This volume makes available some of his more signifi cant writings produced shortly before and after the Fascist accession to power in Italy.
122 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1929
About the author
Giovanni Gentile
166 books52 followersGiovanni Gentile (Italian: [dʒoˈvanni dʒenˈtiːle]; May 30, 1875 – April 15, 1944) was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher and politician, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism (1932) for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 7, 2016
نمره ی واقعی: سه و نیم
کتاب شامل بخش های زیر است: 1) سرچشمه ها و دکترین فاشیسم (1929) ( همراه با افزوده ها: الف. فلسفه فاشیسم؛ ب. قوانین شورای عالی؛ هر دو به سال 1928) - در 52 صفحه؛ 2) گزیده ای از "فاشیسم چیست؟" (1925) - 32 صفحه؛ 3) گزیده ای از "اصلاحات آموزشی" از نسخه ی بازبینی شده ی 1919 - در 27 صفحه
به نظرم کتاب خواندنی است از نظر بی تعارف بودن و تلاش برای مواجه کردن خواننده با آنچه که خود پیشاپیش درست می داند اما جزئت ابرازش در او نیست یا حداقل تبعاتش را نمی پذیرد. مثلا اینکه ایده آل هایی وجود دارند که آزادی تردیدناپذیر بشر رو سوی آنها دارد. یا اینکه فرد مستقل و اتمی لیبرالیسم و بعضی اقسام تفکر چپ نه وجود داشته، نه وجود دارد و نه وجود خواهد داشت
مترجم انگلیسی در مقدمه ی کوتاه خود متذکر نکته ای جالب می شود؛ اینکه جهان غرب مارکسیسم را به مثابه یک اندیشه پذیرفته است و جنایات و خشونت ها مانع نشده که این اندیشه در آکادمی جدی گرفته شود. اما این اتفاق برای فاشیسم نیافتاده و عموما فاشیسم را صرف شور و شوقی کور و حیوانی درک کرده اند. رجوع به آثار جنتیله در مقام فیلسوف رسمی فاشیسم که موسولینی او را جدی می گرفت، راهی می گشاید برای رها شدن از این پندار نادرست
جنتیله ایدئالیست است به چند معنا: از نظر فلسفی ایدئالیست است چون میان علت و دلیل فرق می گذارد و معتقد است هیچ چیز بدون آنکه پیشاپیش متعلق آگاهی شود قابل بحث نیست ( یعنی دلیل امری بنیادی تر از علت است ) - مثلا تمایز بدن از روح امری است ساخته ی خود روح یا خودآگاهی و به همین دلیل ماتریالیسم امری سطحی است. از نظر انسان شناسی اخلاقی و ارزشی ایدئالیست است زیرا معتقد است انسان رو به سویی دارد و اراده ای او را به جانبی می کشاند - البته این اراده غیر از آرزوهایی غیرقابل دستیابی فردی است؛ بلکه همان اراده ای است که در نهایت بالفعل می شود و نمودش در تاریخ است. از نظر فلسفه ی تاریخ ایدئالیست است زیرا معتقد است این ایده ها هستند که تاریخ را محقق می کنند و نه آنکه تاریخ ایده ها را پدید آورد. از نظر انسان شناسی ایدئالیست است زیرا م�� فردی اتمی را انکار می کند و معتقد است پدیده هایی مثل زبان و ایده آل های عام نشان از یک "ما" دارند که بنیان "من" است. و از نظر سیاسی ایدئالیست است زیرا دولت را تبلور ایده می داند، تبلور همان مایی که بنیاد فردیت است، تبلور روح زمانه
به نظرم کتاب علی رغم خواندنی بود ضعف فلسفی کم ندارد. ضعفش هم بیشتر در این است که گاهی استدلال ها استواری کافی ندارند و گاهی پیوندهایی فرض گرفته می شود بدون آنکه تبیینی و توجیهی در میان باشد. کاش آثار جدی تر و فلسفی تر جنتیله و مفسران فلسفی او ترجمه شود یا ترجمه های انگلیسی اش در دسترس باشد تا بیشتر این فضای فکری را بتوان درک فلسفی کرد
May 4, 2018
I found this collection of texts by Gentile to be indispensible in understanding not only the genesis but the ultimate fate of Italian Fascism. I had initially thought that Fascist intellectuals, enthralled by Great Man politics, made no sincere efforts to explicitly spell out the link between theory and praxis, and would always refer to the Duce's authority in the last instance. The supposed programmatic aims of Fascism are not contradicted by Duce's policy decisions because the programmatic aims themselves never crystalized into a coherent body of doctrine. But Gentile appears to be arguing along the lines that this notion of action preceding thinking (or of thinking embodied in practice, "thought in flight") is precisely what generates the dynamism that is so distinctive about Fascism. Hegelian idealism is employed in full force. Gentile conceives of the state as having a life, mind and spirit of its own, pursuing its own ends. It is not a limit that an individual runs up against, or as something that tyranically imposes empty laws on the latter, but the organic expression of true individuality, truer than the individualism of liberalism or socialism. Moreover, the state is not synonamous with the nation, even as both are conceived as a work that is always in the process of making.
February 15, 2019
Short explain of what Fascism is by actual Fascists. Great for anyone who actually what to learn about the idea of Fascism.
March 28, 2021
طبیعتا این نمره رو بابت توانایی نویسنده در انتقال منظور مورد نظرش و همچنین ترجمه کتاب دادم نه خدایی نکرده بابت محتویاتش
August 17, 2018
Amazingly complex in what it wants to be, but much more clear in what it is. This manifesto obviously gives an idealists view of fascism, but it introduces such philosophical nuance that you begin to understand how exactly the term 'third position' first arose. It is in its core anti-positivist in its material analysis; the opposite of a dialectically materialistical viewpoint. The book is a good brain exercise into fascist political theory although a bit too short and sometimes too abstract.
October 27, 2021
Needs to be read with an open mind as well as patience. Gentile doesn’t say much of anything specifically. There are no hate-filled rants here, just philosophy and history.
November 8, 2021
A must read for anyone curious about what this ideology is.
July 26, 2020
This was an informative book. It helped me to understand the ideology of fascism, but still a terrible ideology.
October 2, 2022
read out of intellectual curiosity, not political sympathy.
interesting to see the context in which fascism developped, why it specifically appeared in Italy and what the philosophical arguments (often dotted with abuse towards political enemies) were for it. the fact there was a whole, serious, metaphysical background to an ideology often discarded as the embodiment of bigoted populist ravings was surprising.
however still not a supporter of fascism and Gentile's pedagogica approach remains quite abstract in the extracts given (although it apparently led to an important reform in Italy itself).
interesting to see the context in which fascism developped, why it specifically appeared in Italy and what the philosophical arguments (often dotted with abuse towards political enemies) were for it. the fact there was a whole, serious, metaphysical background to an ideology often discarded as the embodiment of bigoted populist ravings was surprising.
however still not a supporter of fascism and Gentile's pedagogica approach remains quite abstract in the extracts given (although it apparently led to an important reform in Italy itself).
December 29, 2023
Only read the title essay. Surprised by the prominent place that Sorellianism is given in the development of Fascism. Worth noting that the editor, A. James Gregor, seems to be a bit of a fascist himself, so there's reason to worry if his selection of essays is biased.
September 13, 2020
دوستان من نمیدونم چطور کتاب عارو دانلود کنم کسی میدونه کمک کنه لطفا
September 25, 2020
Concise, artistic, beautiful. Gentile and Mussolini were truly geniuses and this book speaks to that. Not a single page or sentence is wasted, you can read this a hundred times and come out with something new at every reading.
September 27, 2022
Instructive. The socialist origins of fascism laid bare by one of it's architects. Required reading for anyone who wants more than a pop-culture education in political thought.
October 6, 2024
A text of word salad to justify an all powerful state.
August 26, 2024
This book shows many complexities of ideology, especially fascism. In a contemporary period full of defamation, oversimplification, and outright misuse of words all lead to the relativization of a subject.
June 23, 2022
Fascism is notoriously hard to describe, from its pundits but also its greatest critics.
The heart of this reason is the innate morphology and anti-intellectualism that gives fascism only principles of action and reaction, creation and destruction, in a very “Machiavellian” and pragmatic realpolitik.
Fascism despite being “totalitarian” at its heart is the ideological and structural antithesis to communism.
Conflict will always be inevitable between these factions.
For Communism, it is a rather strict ideology that absolutely dominated one’s world view, but inherent in this religiosity was a vast limitation of steps that could be taken to change society. We saw this throughout the Soviet Union, where semblances of bourgeoise or capitalist ideas, would be taboo despite the real and beneficial effects of incorporating “non aligned” ideas (free trade, private property, finance etc.)
In contrast, Fascism sees methods then see possible outcomes then uses ideology after to justify action. Communism had strict ideology and only sees a deluded outcome, scraping at methods after the ideas and goals have been determined.
Bit of a simplification, but structurally fascism sees its tools and then goals, it is willing to change itself to achieve ends, a flexibility that is its greatest strength and greatest weakness.
Will finish this review later.
This is a necessary reading if you wish to understand in a professional and “academic” sense what fascism entails.
Much work to do.
The heart of this reason is the innate morphology and anti-intellectualism that gives fascism only principles of action and reaction, creation and destruction, in a very “Machiavellian” and pragmatic realpolitik.
Fascism despite being “totalitarian” at its heart is the ideological and structural antithesis to communism.
Conflict will always be inevitable between these factions.
For Communism, it is a rather strict ideology that absolutely dominated one’s world view, but inherent in this religiosity was a vast limitation of steps that could be taken to change society. We saw this throughout the Soviet Union, where semblances of bourgeoise or capitalist ideas, would be taboo despite the real and beneficial effects of incorporating “non aligned” ideas (free trade, private property, finance etc.)
In contrast, Fascism sees methods then see possible outcomes then uses ideology after to justify action. Communism had strict ideology and only sees a deluded outcome, scraping at methods after the ideas and goals have been determined.
Bit of a simplification, but structurally fascism sees its tools and then goals, it is willing to change itself to achieve ends, a flexibility that is its greatest strength and greatest weakness.
Will finish this review later.
This is a necessary reading if you wish to understand in a professional and “academic” sense what fascism entails.
Much work to do.
March 26, 2023
"Origins and Doctrine of Fascism" is a book by Italian philosopher Giovanni Gentile, first published in 1928. The book is a critical analysis of the origins and nature of Fascism, and provides an intellectual justification for the Fascist movement in Italy.
Gentile was a prominent intellectual figure in Italy during the early 20th century and was closely associated with the Fascist movement. In "Origins and Doctrine of Fascism", he argues that Fascism represents a radical break with traditional forms of political thought, and is based on a new understanding of the nature of the state and the individual.
Gentile emphasizes the importance of the state in Fascist ideology, and suggests that the state should be seen as the embodiment of the national will. He also argues that the individual must be subordinated to the needs of the state, and that Fascism provides a framework for achieving social harmony and national unity.
Overall, "Origins and Doctrine of Fascism" provides an important insight into the intellectual and ideological origins of Fascism in Italy. The book has been widely studied by scholars of political theory and intellectual history, and has contributed to ongoing debates about the nature of Fascism and its relationship to modern politics.
GPT
Gentile was a prominent intellectual figure in Italy during the early 20th century and was closely associated with the Fascist movement. In "Origins and Doctrine of Fascism", he argues that Fascism represents a radical break with traditional forms of political thought, and is based on a new understanding of the nature of the state and the individual.
Gentile emphasizes the importance of the state in Fascist ideology, and suggests that the state should be seen as the embodiment of the national will. He also argues that the individual must be subordinated to the needs of the state, and that Fascism provides a framework for achieving social harmony and national unity.
Overall, "Origins and Doctrine of Fascism" provides an important insight into the intellectual and ideological origins of Fascism in Italy. The book has been widely studied by scholars of political theory and intellectual history, and has contributed to ongoing debates about the nature of Fascism and its relationship to modern politics.
GPT
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews