What makes a fascist? Are there character traits that make someone more likely to vote for the
far right? The Authoritarian Personality written in the shadow of Fascism and the Holocaust
looked to analyse the rise of Fascism in Europe through the specific psychological traits that
make people prone to authoritarianism. Based on extensive empirical studies of Americans
conducted by a team which included the leading member of the Frankfurt School Theodor Adorno
The Authoritarian Personality ranked a range of character traits on what it called the 'F
scale' (F for fascist). These included conventionalism anti-intellectualism superstition and
occultism power and toughness destructiveness and cynicism projectivity and exaggerated
concerns over sex.The Authoritarian Personality is not only one of the most influential works
of social psychology ever written it also marks a milestone in the development of Adorno's
thought showing him grabbling with the problem of fascism and the reasons for Europe's turn to
reaction. Over half a century later and with the rise of right-wing populism and the
reemergence of the far-right in recent years this hugely influential study remains as
insightful and relevant as ever.
