José Carlos Mariátegui and fascism

Abstract

In the traditions of thought of the Latin American lefts, elaborations on the forms of right-wing movements are not abundant. José Carlos Mariátegui constitutes one of the few exceptions in this general panorama. This essay, which deals with his approaches to Italian Fascism, is divided into two sections. First, three dimensions of analysis of Mariátegui's essays on the emerging right in post-war Europe stand out, particularly in the texts gathered in his “Biology of Fascism”. These three dimensions, it is argued, outlined problems that were later elaborated by authors who became references in contemporary historiography on fascism (this exercise does not think of Mariátegui in terms of the “antecedent” of this historiography, but simply seeks to highlight some of his intuitions). Secondly, it is postulated that Mariátegui made a non-prejudiced reading of fascism, which sought to understand it in its own logic and paying attention to its innovations. Despite placing fascism as a counterrevolutionary movement that was located in the enemy camp of socialism and the international proletariat, Mariátegui extracted elements that were in harmony with the cultural climate of the time and that could be readapted in a socialist project. Fascism was, ultimately, a practical laboratory that complemented his readings of Georges Sorel (in some cases anticipating them) for the elaboration of the theme of myth, a key factor in his political philosophy.