The current rise of the radical right wing appears to be a clear and immediate danger to the very existence of liberal democracy. Populist and authoritarian leaders are again amassing real political power, and constitutional and judicial infrastructures are on the verge of collapse even in countries with a democratic tradition, including the United States and Israel, that seemed stable until recently.

What is the source of the radical right’s power? How is it served by the intentional diminution of the status of truth and the labeling of intellectuals as enemies? How are mass media enlisted in its favor? How real is its danger and how can it be fought?

This anthology attempts to answer these questions. At its heart is the almost prophetic text of Theodor W. Adorno, based on a lecture he delivered in the 1960s and which has recently been rediscovered. To this have been added a brief interview conducted by Gidi Weitz with the world-renowned scholar of fascism Zeev Sternhell and a comprehensive prologue by Eva Illouz and Eyal Chowers, who provide us with an important key to understanding the current political situation.