The Daily Bulletin Archive

Please join us for the fourth presentation in our annual Philosophy and Humanities Fall 2014 Faculty Colloquia, "Transformations of Populism in Western Europe: The Ideology of Producers and Parasites from the French Revolution to Fascism," presented by John Abromeit, associate professor of history, on Monday, November 17, at 2:00 p.m. in Bishop Hall 242. The commentator will be Collin Zastempowski, '16, philosophy major and French minor.

Abstract
In an influential political pamphlet written on the eve of the French Revolution, Abbe Sieyes mobilized commoners against the aristocracy and monarchy by characterizing the former as virtuous producers and the latter as immoral parasites. This discourse of "producers and parasites" was adopted by influential French socialists in the nineteenth century and eventually found its way into early-twentieth-century fascist movements in France, Italy, and Germany. How and why was it possible for fascist movements in the early twentieth century to so effectively employ progressive populist ideas from the nineteenth century? A closer examination of the history of the discourse of "producers and parasites" can help us answer this question and can also alert us to the dangers of this discourse, which continues to play an important role in some contemporary right and left wing populist movements.