ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the value of Lacanian discourse theory for assessing the proximity between perversion and fascism. It discusses the limits that the pervert and the fascist appear to surpass, challenging the idea of perversion as deviation. Power may be argued to be the fundamental concept in politics and the underlying fantasmatic core of all ideologies, including fascism. The significance of the Lacanian theory of discourse lies in the identification of a number of possible symbolic forms through which the unconscious reveals itself in the intersubjective milieu of communication and the formation of social bonds. The chapter shows that perversion cannot be understood as occupying the same discursive canvas as fascism. Sadean philosophy must be understood as a utopian system, which has been erroneously reduced to mere perverse actions. The notorious Sadean fantasy of the indestructible body that maintains its beauty forever through perpetual torments does not renounce unity.
