Critical theorist Alberto Toscano sits down with Am Johal to discuss the emergence of critical theory alongside fascism's rise in the 1920s and 30s.
He speaks of Georges Sorel as a politically radical figure from the time period, highlights the role of political violence in the emergence of fascism, and delves into contemporary American currents of fascism – particularly focusing on the racialized form of state terror present in the United States.
From there, Alberto discusses the concept of fascism and its continued relationship to settler colonial formations, its association with extreme neoliberalism, and the importance of figures like Aimé Césaire, W. E. B. Du Bois, Angela Davis, and George Jackson in emphasising manifestations of racial fascism. He acknowledges the complexity of using terms like American fascism, and mentions the need to understand the dynamics and political economy underlying the far-right movements in the U.S., which are the result of white homogeneity and privileged groups imagining their annihilation and victimisation.
About Our Guest
Alberto Toscano is Reader in Critical Theory at the Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London, where he co-directs the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought. He is a Term Research Associate Professor at the Digital Democracy Institute, School of Communication, SFU.
Alberto’s current research is divided into three main strands: a theoretical inquiry into contemporary authoritarian trends and their dis/analogies with their historical predecessors, culminating in the forthcoming book Late Fascism (Verso, 2023); the study of tragedy as a framework through which to understand political action and its discontents, from decolonisation to environmentalism; and the development of ‘real abstraction’ as a heuristic for the analysis contemporary capitalism, notably in its nexus with processes of racialisation. As the series editor of The Italian List for Calcutta-based publisher Seagull books, Alberto’s research is also concerned with the translation and reception of Italian literature, literary criticism and critical theory.
Cite This Episode
Johal, Am. “Late-Facism — with Alberto Toscano.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, September 5, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/217-alberto-toscano.html.
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