

#38974
Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Mass Psychology of Fascism
Book • 1952
In this work, Wilhelm Reich provides a unique insight into the phenomenon of fascism, refuting the notion that it is the ideology or action of a single individual, nationality, or ethnic group.
Instead, he understands fascism as the organized political expression of the average man's character, resulting from the suppression of primary biological needs and impulses over thousands of years.
The book analyzes the social function of this suppression and the crucial roles played by the authoritarian family and the church.
Reich also highlights how every form of organized mysticism, including fascism, relies on the unsatisfied orgastic longing of the masses.
The importance of this work is underscored by its relevance to current social conflicts, emphasizing the need to understand the mass psychology of fascism to address contemporary societal issues.
Instead, he understands fascism as the organized political expression of the average man's character, resulting from the suppression of primary biological needs and impulses over thousands of years.
The book analyzes the social function of this suppression and the crucial roles played by the authoritarian family and the church.
Reich also highlights how every form of organized mysticism, including fascism, relies on the unsatisfied orgastic longing of the masses.
The importance of this work is underscored by its relevance to current social conflicts, emphasizing the need to understand the mass psychology of fascism to address contemporary societal issues.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 2 episodes
Mentioned when the speakers were planning to discuss it before changing direction.

Pill Pod 210 - New York Times LIES about "Fascism Experts" fleeing Trump
Mentioned by Anna North and
Olivia Laing in the context of his life, theories, and persecution by the US government.


Freedom, and what it means to have a body
Mentioned by Eugene Holland in relation to his work on psychoanalysis and capitalism.

Eugene W. Holland, "Perversions of the Market: Sadism, Masochism, and the Culture of Capitalism" (SUNY Press, 2024)