Psychoanalysis and Fascism: A Reader

Psychoanalysis and Fascism: A Reader brings together the most significant papers from a century-long history of psychoanalytic writings on fascism.

Alasdair Cannon and Tom Fielder situate key work by authors including Wilhelm Reich, Christopher Bollas, Jacqueline Rose, Otto Kernberg, and Theodor Adorno in the context of fascism’s return as a locus of renewed political anxiety and scholarly debate. Organised into five sections―The Fascist State of Mind, Mass Psychology, Masculinity and Perversion, Psychosocial Approaches, and an Afterword―and featuring an extensive Introduction and Conclusion by the Editors, the book includes a diverse and comprehensive view of the major contributions to the field, from its inception to the present day.

Psychoanalysis and Fascism: A Reader will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of psychoanalytic studies, critical theory, cultural studies, political studies and political psychology, and for psychoanalytic and group analytic practitioners seeking a psychosocial perspective on the proliferation of rage and terror in today’s world of systemic breakdown.

Alasdair Cannon is a British-Australian writer and independent researcher based in London. He is the author of Infinite Discontent: Writings on the Allure of Fascism (eidolon ink, 2024) and holds an MA in Psychoanalytic Studies from Birkbeck, University of London.

Tom Fielder, PhD, is an Associate Lecturer at the Centre for Psychosocial Research, Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of the Executive Board of the Association for Psychosocial Studies.