Transgressing the political has a proper time and place—otherwise the alt collapses into chaos.
Miller ‘22 – Patrick Miller, Patrick Miller specializes in 20th century philosophy and social-political thought, with a focus on Georges Bataille, Emmanuel Levinas, Martin Heidegger, and issues related to the self, community and the ethical limits of politics. “What is Fascism Without a State?:Countering Claims of Batille’s Left Fascism”. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. 2022. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/14409917.2022.2104082?needAccess=true&role=button. Accessed 7/14/23 | RN
Exceeding the political through repressed affectivity need not result in a community of fierce beasts, especially when a “proper” Bataillean embrace of these affectivities must avoid authoritarian calcification. Thus, the vague similarities between Bataille and fascist thought should not lead one to reject his comments on fascism, the potential for vibrant communities, and subversion of the state. Bataille’s explanation for the development of fascism can inform our current situation: the decline in confidence of democratic systems and heads of state and the lower classes become more acclimated to nationalistic movements. Likewise, if we wish for a community that furthers the value of individuals outside of utilitarian concerns, then there is a time and place to push for subversion of the state structure that will resist sliding into totalitarianism.