Emergencies of Authoritarianism: Global Entanglements

Authoritarian, right-wing populist and fascist tendencies are currently gaining strength all over the world. But how do different instantiations of authoritarianism relate to each other?

It is clear that the idea of methodological nationalism cannot account for the mimetic resurfacing of memes, electoral strategies and administrative maneuvers in hitherto unconnected parts of the globe. But the well-rehearsed dialectic between the local and the global does not capture the phenomenon either: specific forms of authoritarianism are neither local phenomena that become interconnected only retrospectively, nor are they simply local manifestations of a global phenomenon. Rather, the heterogeneous emergencies of authoritarianism are transversal — they interact, inspire and challenge each other in complex ways, whilst maintaining their respective specific national and regional frontlines.

In conversation with Debaditya Bhattacharya (New Delhi), Gisela Catanzaro (Buenos Aires), Zeynep Gambetti (Istanbul), Eva von Redecker (Berlin) and Daniel Loick (Amsterdam), we will dive into these global entanglements, to see how best to analyse, cricitise and effectively respond to the threats of authoritarianism.

About the speakers

Debaditya Bhattacharya is a professor of English at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi.

Gisela Catanzaro is Professor of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Buenos Aires and independent researcher at CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas).

Zeynep Gambetti is an independent researcher in political theory, based in Istanbul, Turkey and co-chair of the International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs.

Eva von Redecker is an independent philosopher and writer, based in Brandenburg, Germany.

Daniel Loick (moderator) is Associate Professor for Political and Social Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.

The panelists are members of the new research project Emergencies of Authoritarianism, an initiative of the International Consortium of Critical Theory Programs (ICCTP), funded by the VolkswagenStiftung (Germany). This event is co-organized by the ICCTP, Spui 25, and the Philosophy & Public Affairs Group at the University of Amsterdam.