Positivism Against Fascism: The Bifurcations of Conservative Politcs

Faced with the polysemy imputed to the terms positivism and fascism, this article aims to highlight, in the political aspect, the differences between the first and the second, although both are considered by many scholars to be expressions of an authoritarian conservative thought. Thus, it is necessary to present three specific objectives that elucidate two singularities and divergences, namely: the emphasis on the centralism of political leaderships, the quarrels regarding communist and socialist prerogatives, and the examination of the entry of the masses into the political context. Such objectives will be unfolded based on some aspects of Augusto Comte's political sociology and some vectors that characterize the modus operandi of fascism. It is hoped that this analysis will clarify that, while Comte's positivism is based on rationality, on the functionalism of ideas and on the limited participation of social strata, fascism is based on the excessive idealization of the historical context, on the intolerance of opposing political currents and in the political and manipulated empowerment of the masses.