Umberto Eco's 2024 Essay 'Il Fascismo Eterno' Analyzes Persistent Fascist Archetypes

Umberto Eco's 2024 essay 'Il Fascismo Eterno,' published by La Nava di Teseo, argues that fascism operates as a persistent shadow across global socio-cultural landscapes, transcending specific historical or geographic confines. Eco conceptualizes this phenomenon as 'Ur-Fascismo' or 'eternal fascism,' describing it as a 'hive of contradictions' capable of adapting anywhere. He outlines key characteristics including political disarray, tradition worship, modernism rejection, irrationalism, and opposition to diversity. The text notes fascism's reliance on individual frustration, social identity deprivation, and a distorted enemy assessment. Eco emphasizes that 'Ur-Fascismo is still around us, sometimes in civilian clothes,' urging vigilance to unmask its evolving forms daily worldwide. The essay avoids predicting a return of blackshirt parades in Italian piazzas, instead focusing on its amorphous, recurring nature. Written by Antonia De Francesco for MIfacciodiCultura, the piece was published on Artspecialday in 2026, discussing Eco's analysis of fascism as a synecdoche for diverse totalitarian movements.