Against Ur-Fascism
The study of fascism has a problem of basic definition. It is widely agreed that fascism has certain common tendencies but the reason for this is usually not stated. An example is the essay "Ur-Fascism" by Umberto Eco. He attempts to describe a proto-fascist situation by its symptoms rather than making a root diagnosis. In many cases, a symptoms-first approach can be productive. Still, it is this approach which can…