Michel Foucault calls Fascism a "disease of power" suggesting that Fascism is not a singular occurrence and that it is connected to power's normal functioning. In the course of this seminar, we will explore theories of Fascism of various political provenance many of them coeval with Fascism or from its immediate aftermath. Yet the questions raised at the time are still relevant and contentious: How sharp do we need to distinguish between National Socialism and Fascism, for example, in its Italian, Spanish or other form? Has Fascism an existence proper or can it be subsumed under the heading totalitarianism? Is Fascism the end of capitalism or its continuation by other means? What is the relation between media and Fascism? Can we
theorize Fascism without considering the mediascapes in which it emerges? How is Fascism rendered fashionable and fascinating? Besides these primarily political or epistemological inquiries, we will also include theories, films and literature which investigate Fascism's mediation strategies and its seductive power.