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ENGL 406/492 The Rhetoric of Fascism
Fall 2025

Dr. Andrew McMurry (amcmurry@uwaterloo.ca)

“How do we maintain a sense of common humanity, when fear and insecurity will lead us to flee into the comforting arms of mythic superiority in vain pursuit of a sense of dignity?”— Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works

Fascism. Neo-fascism. Right-wing Populism. Illiberal Democracy. These are some of the names applied to anti-democratic, xenophobic, ultranationalist political movements and ideologies on the rise in the world today, which exploit the tensions in an already precarious world (climate change, economic inequality, geopolitical tensions) to drive retrograde social and political agendas.

One of the key differences between fascism and other forms of authoritarian rule is that fascists are popularly elected. They seduce the nation by harnessing preexisting hatreds, divisions, and unfulfilled aspirations. They identify victims and villains. They offer returns to imagined eras of purity and harmony. They empower charismatic strongmen. We will explore the past and present of fascism, seeking clues as to why it is once again emerging as a powerful force in mature democracies.

We will examine some of the primary texts of fascism by figures such as Marinetti, Schmitt, Mussolini, and Hitler. But our main focus is to understand fascist messaging in all its forms: demagogic speeches, propaganda, symbol, spectacle, art, rallies. One of the most important strategies of the fascist mode is to control common expression and thought by retooling language itself: Orwell, Klemperer, Burke, Sontag, and Stanley will help us here.

This course will appeal to all undergraduate students interested in language, literature, history, and rhetoric. It is open to all students at the 3A level or above, or by permission of the instructor.