Violence as a Means - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Violence as a Means is a core tenet, and often glorification, within Fascist ideology referring to the belief that violence is a legitimate and necessary tool for achieving political and social goals. It rejects pacifism and diplomacy as weak, instead embracing direct action, intimidation, and even war to assert dominance and enforce its vision of societal order. Often misconstrued as mere thuggery, this "violence" is presented as a purifying force, a means of weeding out perceived societal decadence.
The intellectual roots of this concept can be traced to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Georges Sorel's Reflections on Violence (1908) advocated for the use of revolutionary violence to overthrow the existing social order. While Sorel wasn't a Fascist himself, his ideas profoundly influenced early Fascist thinkers. Mussolini, prior to founding Fascism, was deeply influenced by Sorel. Many intellectuals of the time supported the use of targeted violence to create societal change, including Marinetti, who published The Futurist Manifesto in 1909. In it, he praised violence and war as tools for societal progress.
Over time, violence as a "means" became inextricably linked with Fascist regimes. Italy under Mussolini and Nazi Germany under Hitler both openly embraced violence as a political instrument, using propaganda to glorify military strength and suppress dissent through force. The brutality of these regimes, however, exposed its inherent dangers, revealing its descent into terror and oppression. Is the justification of violence as a 'cleansing' fire simply a mask for raw power and control?
The legacy of violence as a means continues to haunt contemporary discussions of political extremism. While explicitly Fascist movements are largely marginalized, the rhetoric of righteous violence still surfaces in various contexts, often cloaked in nationalist, religious, or ideological justifications. The enduring appeal, and danger, of violence as a solution prompts us to study the complex factors that lead societies to embrace such destructive ideologies. How do cultures justify such drastic measures, and what are the long-term consequences when violence becomes normalized as a path to political and social renewal?