You’ve probably seen the list. It floats around social media every time a political election gets heated or a protest breaks out in a major city. Usually, it’s a grainy image of a poster from a museum or a typed-up list of 14 points that seem to describe exactly what’s happening on the news right now. But where did it actually come from?
Most people are talking about Umberto Eco.
Eco wasn't just some random blogger; he was a heavy-hitting Italian philosopher, semiotician, and novelist who grew up under Mussolini’s shadow. In 1995, he wrote an essay titled "Ur-Fascism" for The New York Review of Books. He wasn't trying to provide a rigid legal definition. Honestly, he was trying to identify a "fuzzy" set of characteristics that make up what he called "Eternal Fascism."
Fascism is slippery. It’s not like totalitarianism, which is often logically consistent in its brutality. Fascism is a collage. It’s a messy pile of different philosophical and political ideas. You can take one part away, and it’s still fascism.
The Cult of Tradition and the Rejection of Modernity
The first thing Eco points to is the Cult of Tradition. This isn't just "liking history." It’s the idea that the truth has already been revealed in the past, and we just need to keep interpreting it. There’s no room for new learning. If the "truth" is already set in stone, what’s the point of progress?
This leads directly into the Rejection of Modernity.
Fascists love technology when it helps them kill people or spread propaganda, but they hate the spirit of 1789—the Enlightenment. They view the Age of Reason as the beginning of modern depravity. It’s a weird contradiction. They’ll use a smartphone to tweet about how much they hate the modern world.
Action for Action’s Sake
Thinking is dangerous in a fascist framework. Why? Because thinking involves reflection and criticism.
Eco noted that for the fascist, Action for Action's Sake is the rule. You do things because they feel "manly" or "pure," not because they've been thought through. Culturally, this manifests as a deep suspicion of the intellectual world. If you spend too much time in a library, you’re probably a traitor to the "natural" impulses of the people.
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Disagreement is Treason
In a democracy, we argue. It’s kinda the whole point. We disagree, we vote, we compromise.
Fascism can't handle that.
For Ur-Fascism, Disagreement is Treason. The moment you have a different opinion, you aren't just a political opponent; you’re an enemy of the state. This is how they flatten the culture. If you aren't with the movement, you're a "degenerate." There is no middle ground.
This fear of difference also fuels the Fear of Difference. Fascism is naturally racist. It seeks to protect the "purity" of the group against "intruders." It’s an appeal to the frustrated middle classes who feel squeezed by the pressure of social groups below them.
The Obsession with a Plot
How do you keep people angry? You tell them they're being hunted.
Eco described an Obsession with a Plot. Usually, this plot is international. The followers must feel besieged. It’s often a weird mix of thinking the enemy is too strong and too weak at the same time.
Take a look at how propaganda works.
One day, the enemy is a group of "sub-humans" who are inferior in every way. The next day, those same people are a global cabal capable of manipulating the entire world's economy. You have to keep the followers feeling humiliated by the "ostentatious wealth and force" of their enemies, yet convinced they can win through sheer willpower.
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Pacifism is Trafficking with the Enemy
Life is lived for struggle.
In the world of the 14 traits of fascism, there is no such thing as peace. There is only a "permanent state of war." If you want peace, you're a coward. You’re "trafficking with the enemy."
But there’s a catch.
Since the enemy must be defeated, there has to be a "final battle." Once that battle is won, the movement would theoretically control the world. But that creates a massive contradiction: if you have total control, you have no more enemy. And if you have no more enemy, the movement loses its energy. Fascism needs a monster under the bed to survive.
Contempt for the Weak and the Cult of Death
Eco was very clear about the elitism inherent in these movements.
Contempt for the Weak is a core pillar. Every citizen belongs to the best people in the world, but the party is the best of the citizens. It’s a pyramid of power where everyone looks down on someone else. This elitism is basic to any reactionary ideology.
Then you have the Cult of Heroism.
In most societies, a hero is someone who does something extraordinary. In Ur-Fascism, everyone is encouraged to be a hero. This is linked to a Cult of Death. Eco noted that the Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he frequently sends other people to die instead.
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Machismo and Selective Populism
Since "permanent war" and "heroism" are hard to sustain, the fascist transfers his will to power to sexual matters. This is where Machismo comes in. It involves both disdain for women and intolerance for non-standard sexual habits. It’s a hyper-fixation on "traditional" gender roles as a way to project strength.
Politics, meanwhile, becomes Selective Populism.
In a democracy, "the people" have rights. In fascism, "the People" (with a capital P) is a theatrical concept. The leader claims to be the only one who truly knows what "the People" want. The individuals themselves don't actually get to have a voice; they just get to play the role of "the People" in massive rallies.
This leads to the final trait: Newspeak.
Eco borrowed this from Orwell. It’s the use of an impoverished vocabulary and an elementary syntax. Why? To limit the instruments for complex and critical reasoning. If you don't have the words for "freedom" or "nuance," you can't think those thoughts.
What This Means for You Right Now
Understanding the 14 traits of fascism isn't about calling everyone you dislike a Nazi. That’s lazy.
It’s about recognizing a pattern of behavior before it hardens into a system. Eco’s point was that these traits don't always appear all at once. They’re like Lego bricks. You can build different things with them, but the result is always dangerous to human liberty.
If you want to stay sharp, look for these signs in political discourse:
- Watch the language. Is it becoming more simplified? Is it all "us vs. them" with no room for gray areas?
- Check the attitude toward dissent. Is an opposing view treated as a mistake, or as an act of evil?
- Observe the "Hero" narrative. Is the leader claiming to be the only one who can fix everything?
The best way to push back isn't just through voting—though that’s vital—it’s through maintaining a complex, nuanced culture. Read difficult books. Talk to people you disagree with. Refuse to use the "Newspeak" of the day. Fascism thrives on the simplification of the human experience. Don't let your world get small.
To dig deeper, find a copy of Eco's original essay, Ur-Fascism. It’s a short read but incredibly dense. Compare his list with other scholars like Robert Paxton, who wrote The Anatomy of Fascism. Paxton focuses more on the political "cycles" of fascist movements—how they move from a fringe group to a state power. Between Eco's cultural analysis and Paxton's political breakdown, you'll have a much clearer picture of how these movements actually function in the real world.