Abstract

Fear is a passion that deeply characterizes the human nature and it has been a pivotal analytical topic of the Western Thought. The author, through the discussion of two recent books of Marco Filoni (Anatomia di un assedio, Milano 2019) and Martha Nussbaum (The monarchy of fear, It. trans. Bologna 2020) reflects on the political utilization of Fear in light of the actual transformations. Fear is considered crucial for understanding political modernity, while its reappearance in democratic societies is highly challenging and jeopardizes their capacity of cohesion and political order. By discussing the theoretical theses of Filoni and Nussbaum, the author points out the need to go beyond the politics of Fear by reactivating different political passions like Hope.