Anthropology of Authoritarianism Pt 1: Key Terms and Emerging Authoritarianism

In discussions about these uncertain political times, you may have heard a number of key terms: Fascism. Totalitarianism. Authoritarianism. We'll explore the historical roots of these words and ideas with help from 20th century thinkers such as Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, and Robert J. Lifton as they grappled with the authoritarian governments of Hitler, Mussolini, and others. We’ll also turn to anthropology to help us understand the dynamics of authoritarianism, including Jason Lugerr’s theory of “everyday authoritarianism” and Alex Hinton’s theory of “micrototalitarianism”. Plus answer questions like, do some people have a fascist personality, and are gladiator gyms totalitarian?

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Resources:

Adorno, T. (2019) The Authoritarian Personality. Brooklyn: Verso.

Arendt, H. (2017) The Origins of Totalitarianism. London: Penguin Classics.

Gonçalves, J.F. and Lasco, G. (2023) Anthropology, Democracy, and Authoritarianism: reflections from Brazil and the Philippines. Current Anthropology 64(1).

Price, D. (2016) Weaponizing Anthropology. CounterPunch.

Rhodes, B. (2022) After the Fall: The Rise of Authoritarianism in the World We’ve Made. New York: Random House.

Snyder, T. (2017) On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. New York: Crown.