THE PHILOSOPHY AND VIEWS OF SIR OSWALD MOSLEY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the philosophical ideas and political views of Sir Oswald Mosley, a British politician and the founder of one of the most controversial political movements in British history — the British Union of Fascists. The article analyzes his critique of liberal democracy and parliamentarism, his conception of strong leadership, the organic state, and a unified European civilization, as well as his economic theory of corporatism as a “third way” between capitalism and socialism. Mosley’s ideology of British fascism is presented as neither left-wing nor right-wing, but as a distinct third position that sought to offer an alternative to all existing political models in interwar Britain. Particular attention is paid to Mosley’s views on nationalism, social unity, and the idea of comprehensive European integration as a counterbalance to the potentially growing influence of the United States and the Soviet Union. The article also examines his understanding of history, the role of Western philosophy in European society, and the concept of national destiny. The intellectual origins of his ideas and their connection to the crises of the interwar period are demonstrated. In conclusion, the article assesses the relevance and limitations of Mosley’s philosophy within the context of twentieth-century political thought and contemporary debates on the relationship between freedom, power, unity, will, and order.