Karl Mannheim on Fascism: Sociological Lessons About Populism and Democracy Today?

The parallels and differences between current forms of populism early 20th-century fascism have been the focus for much discussion. This article examines relevance today Karl Mannheim’s analysis its relationship to democracy in 1930s. He argued that threat arose from very nature liberal democratic society, rather than being a product external forces. claimed is transitional, stable character, new emerging form governance was required replace it shared key component with fascism: high level social economic planning. At same time, he insisted that, as pathological development, served illustrate disastrous consequences failure engage realistically process societal development can upholding Western civilisational ideals. explores arguments against background thinking about ‘post-democracy’.