Part 13/15:
The speaker examines how fascist regimes, especially Nazi Germany, utilized ritualistic displays, lighting, and order to evoke emotional responses and forge collective identity. Hitler's staged rallies with massive crowds, lights, and fire created a sense of unity and purpose that was both impressive and terrifying.
Such spectacles overload rational defenses, replacing thoughtful analysis with emotional fervor. The archetype of the knight and the divine father is co-opted to inspire obedience or fear—either for heroic aims or destructive ones. The danger lies in the potential for these symbols to be harnessed for propaganda that propagates violence, cruelty, and totalitarian control.