Landmarks of the Viral-Metamorphic Theory

Paper title:	*Landmarks of the Viral-Metamorphic Theory. A New Interpretation of Right-Wing Totalitarianism (I)*
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.4316/CC.2020.02.002
Published in:	Issue 2, (Vol. 26) / 2020
Publishing date:	2020-12-31
Pages:	303-330
Author(s):	Vlad Gafița
Abstract:	The viral-metamorphic theory offers a new way of interpreting right-wing totalitarianism, in the context in which not even a single vision of this phenomenon has yet been achieved. Although the definitions of generic fascism, regarded as Ideal-type, are incredibly numerous and diverse, there is no unanimous opinion about its true nature. The path we chose is circumscribed by the comparative analysis of this type of totalitarianism's ideational origins, returning thus to its theoretical, philosophical and political foundations. We do not claim by any means to fully solve such a vast problem– and, if we did, of course, we would leave the sphere of historical reality and enter a world of fantasy, speculation and utopia. Within the bounds of our intellectual and spiritual possibilities, we have designed a new model of analysis of the interwar far-right, which we have called viral-metamorphic, appropriating and adapting concepts from geology (metamorphism), biology and computer science (virus/ viral), along with the wide synonymic range of the above-mentioned terms.
Keywords:	metamorphic, theory, right-wing totalitarianism, comparative analysis, fascism, ideal type, viral.

References:	1. Barret, William, Irrational Man. A Study in Existential Philosophy, New York, Anchor Books, 1962. 2. Bergson, Henri, L'évolution créatrice, Paris, Les Presses Universitaires de France, 1959. 3. Bobbio, Norberto, Stânga şi dreapta [Left and Right], Bucharest, Humanitas Publishing House, 1999. 4. Bocancea, Sorin, Conservatorismul [Conservatism], in Huzum, Eugen (coord.), Teorii politice şi ideologii [Political theories and ideologies], Iași European Institute Publish-ing House, 2013. 5. Carpinschi, Anton, Conservatorismul, doctrină a autorităţii şi restauraţiei [Conservatism, the doctrine of authority and restoration], in Mungiu-Pippidi, Alina (coord.), Doctrine politice contemporane. Tipologii, dinamică, perspective [Contemporary political doctrines. Typologies, dynamics, perspectives] Iaşi, Moldova Publishing House, 1992. 6. Compagnon, Antoine, Antimodernii. De la Joseph de Maistre la Roland Barthes [Anti-moderns. From Joseph de Maistre to Roland Barthes], translation from French by Irina Mavrodin and Adina Dinițoiu, Bucharest, Art Publishing House, 2008. 7. Dahl, Robert A., Despre democraţie [About democracy], Iași, European Institute Publishing House, 2003. 8. Dascălu, Dan-Ioan, Personalitatea totalitară [Totalitarian Personality], Bucharest, Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House, 2002. 9. De Maistre, Joseph, Istorie şi providenţă [History and Providence], Bucharest, Anastasia Publishing House, 1997. 10. Di Iorio, Francesco, Cognitive Autonomy and Methodological Individualism. The Interpretative Foundations of Social Life, Heidelberg-New York- Dordrecht-London, Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2015. 11. Dudley, Will, Hegel, Nietzsche and Philosophy. Thinking Freedom, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007. 12. Eagleton, Terry, Ideology: An Introduction, Londra-New York, Versus, 1991. 13. Gafița, Vlad, Totalitarian Language through the Lens of the Viral-Metamorphic Theory, in "Meridian Critic", no: 1 (volume 30), 2018. 14. Gentile, Emilio; Miller, Robert L., The Origins of Fascist Ideology, 1918 – 1925, New York, Enigma, 2005. 15. Germino, Dante, Preliminary Reflections on the Open Society: Bergson, Popper, Voegelin, in Germino, Dante; Von Beyme, Klaus (eds.), The Open Society in Theory and Practice, Haga, Martinus Nijhoff, 1974. 16. Green, E. H. H., Ideologies of Conservatism. Conservative Political Ideas in the Twentieth Century, New York, Oxford University Press, 2002. 17. Hazlitt, Henry, The Way to Will-Power, Auburn-Alabama, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2008. 18. Iliescu, Adrian-Paul, Conservatorismul [Conservatism], in Mungiu-Pippidi, Alina (coord.), Doctrine politice contemporane. Tipologii, dinamică, perspective [Contemporary political doctrines. Typologies, dynamics, perspectives], Iaşi, Moldova Publishing House, 1992. 19. Iliescu, Adrian-Paul, Conservatorismul anglo-saxon [Anglo-Saxon Conservatism], Bucharest, All Publishing House, 1994. 20. Jordan, J. A., The Evolution of dialectical Materialism: A Philosophical and Socio-logical Analysis, London, Macmillan, 1967. 21. Joulié, Jean-Etienne, Will to Power, Nietzsche's Last Idol, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. 22. Kirk, Russel, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot, Revised Edition, Chicago, Henry Regnery Company, 1960. 23. Klemperer, Victor, The Language of the Third Reich. LTI – Lingua Tertii Imperii. A Psihologist's Notebook, translated by Martin Brady, London-New York, Blomsbury Publish-ing Plc, 2013. 24. Jorge Larrain, Marxism and Ideology, London-Basingstoke, The Macmillan Press Ltd., 1983. 25. Leymarie, Michel; Prévotat, Jacques (eds.), L'Action Française. Culture, société, politique, Villeneuve d'Ascq, Presses universitaires du Septentrion, 2008. 26. Livingstone, M.A., The Fascists and the Jews of Italy: Mussolini's Race Laws, 1938-1943, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2014. 27. Machado, Diamantino P., The Structure of Portuguese Society. The Failure of Fascism, Westport-Connecticut, Praeger Publishers, 1991. 28. Mc Lellan, David, Marxism after Marx, London, Macmillan, 1980. 29. Nisbet, Robert, Conservatorismul [Conservatism] Bucharest, Du Style Publishing House, 1998. 30. O'Sullivan, Noel, Conservatorismul [Conservatism], in Enciclopedia Blackwell a gândirii politice [The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought], Bucharest, Humanitas Publishing House, 2000. 31. Payne, Stanley G., Fascism and Communism, in "Totalitarian Movements and Politi-cal Religions", I, 2000, No. 3, pp. 1-15. 32. Pinto, António Costa, Introduction: Political Elites and Decision-Making in Fascist-Era Dictatorships, in idem (ed.), Ruling Elites and Decision-Making in Fascist-Era Dictatorships, New York, Columbia University Press, 2009. 33. Popper, K. R., Societatea deschisă şi duşmanii ei [The Open Society and Its Enemies,] vol. I, Vraja lui Platon [The Spell of Plato], translated into Romanian by D. Stoianovici, Bucharest, Humanitas Publishing House, 2005. 34. Rex, John, Rasă şi etnie [Race and Ethnicity], translation from English into Romanian by Dan Pavelescu, Bucharest, DU Style Publishing House, 1998. 35. Șandru, Daniel, Reinventarea ideologiei. O abordare teoretico-politică [Reinventing ideology. A Theoretical-political Approach], Iași, European Institute, 2009. 36. Sartori, Giovanni, Parties and Party Systems. A Framework for Analysis, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1976. 37. Sartori, Giovanni; Sani, Giacomo, Polarization, Fragmentation and Competition in Western Democracies, in Daalder, Hans; Mair, Peter (eds), Western European Party Systems: Continuity and Change, Beverly Hills, Publishing House Sage, 1983. 38. Scott, John T., (ed.), The Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Two Discourses and the Social Contract, Chicago-London, The University of Chicago Press, 2012. 39. Seiler, Daniel Louis, Partidele politice din Europa [Political parties in Europe], Iași, European Institute Publishing House, 1999. 40. Sorel, George, Réflexions sur la violence, deuxième édition, Paris, Librairie Des Sciences Politiques et Sociales, 1910. 41. Sternhell, Zeev; Sznajder, Mario, The Birth of Fascist Ideology, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1994. 42. Talmon, J. L., Origins of Totalitarian Democracy, London, Secker & Warburg, 1952. 43. Turda, Marius, Eugenism şi modernitate. Naţiune, rasă şi biopolitică în Europa (1870-1950) [Eugenics and modernity. Nation, race and biopolitics in Europe (1870-1950)], translation into Romanian by Răzvan Pârâianu, Iași, Polirom Publishing House, 2014. 44. Turpin, Béatrice, Victor Klemperer et le langage totalitaire d’hier à aujourd’hui. Compte-rendu du colloque de cerissy-la-Salle, in „Hermès”, nr. 58, 3/2010. 45. Udehn, Lars, Methodological Individualism. Background, History and Meaning, London-New York, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2001. 46. Van Dijk, Teun A., Ideology. A Multidisciplinary Approach, Londra – Thousand Oaks – New Delhi, SAGE Publications, 1998. 47. Voegelin, Eric, Order and History, vol. II, The World of the Polis, Baton Rouge, Lou-isiana State University Press, 1957. 48. Woods, Roger, The Conservative Revolution in the Weimar Republic, London, Macmillan Press Ltd., 1996. 49. Young, J. W., Totalitarian Language: Orwell's Newspeak and Its Nazi and Communist Antecedents, University of Virginia Press, 1991. 50. Zodian, Mihai, Conservatorismul [Conservatism], in Miroiu, Mihaela (coord.), Ideologii politice actuale. Semnificații, evoluții, și impact [Current political ideologies. Mean-ings, evolutions and impact], Iași, Polirom Publishing House, 2012.