Jandra Böttger, Jan Slaby and Hannah Vögele (Freie Universität Berlin), Henrike Kohpeiß (Leuphana University Lüneburg), Rainer Mühlhoff (University of Osnabrück), Jorinde Schulz (Die Linke), Philipp Wüschner (independent author)

Language: German

Fascism today is not only widely discussed—it is also deeply felt: in intensifying hostility toward the poor, in the glorification of exclusion and border violence, in unchecked patriarchal and sexualized domination, in fantasies of surveillance and efficiency, in indifference to the suffering of others, and in widespread feelings of fear, isolation, and powerlessness—but also in the longing for solidarity, security, and connection. As broad as this affective landscape is, so too are the analyses and strategies that attempt to grasp it. While some seek to defend liberal democracy against a fascism perceived as coming “from the outside,” others observe how it is being eroded “from within” and turning against itself. Different affective dynamics come to the fore in these perspectives. This event aims to explore and discuss the emotional worlds of the new fascism.

What affective infrastructures enable its emergence? How are experiences and emotions—whether of dominant groups or of those most affected by exclusion and violence—suppressed or rendered unfelt? What gives rise to feelings of dehumanization, disintegration of solidarity, and the acceptance of the destruction of human and non-human life? How “new” are these affects, and what historical continuities can be traced? What synergies emerge between artificial intelligence and techno-ideologies? Are we dealing with feelings of threat or empowerment? Are coldness, hardness, and apathy shaping our present—or rather heat, desire, and passion, in a society caught between fascization and climate collapse? Finally, can counter-affects offer resistance? Which affective strategies and infrastructures make it possible to organize against fascist developments?

We will address these questions in a discussion with former members of the philosophical subproject of the CRC Affective Societies: Henrike Kohpeiß, Rainer Mühlhoff, Jorinde Schulz, and Philipp Wüschner.