The Emotional Life of Populism

Throughout the world, democracy is under assault from various populist movements and ideologies. And, throughout the world, the same enigma: why is it that political figures or governments, who have no qualms about aggravating social inequalities, enjoy the support of those whom their ideas and policies affect and hurt the most?

To make sense of this enigma, the sociologist Eva Illouz argues that we must understand the crucial role that emotions play in our political life. Taking the case of Israel as her prime example, she shows that populist politics rest on four key emotions: fear, disgust, resentment, and love for one's country. It is the combination of these four emotions and their relentless presence in the political arena that nourishes and underpins the rise and persistence of populism both in Israel and in many other countries around the world.

This highly original perspective on the rise of populism will be of interest to anyone who wishes to understand the key political developments of our time.

Introduction: The Worm Inside the Apple


Chapter 1: Securitist Democracy and Fear


Chapter 2: Disgust Entrepreneurs


Chapter 3: Resentment or the Hidden Eros of Nationalist Populism


Chapter 4: National Pride and the New Politics of Class


Conclusion: The Emotions of the Decent Society

"A great theorist of the emotional life of capitalism, Eva Illouz develops here one of the most original and succinct accounts of far-right populism as a politics of feeling. Her brilliant analysis of its core emotions, fear, disgust, resentment and love, revitalizes scholarship on the political sociology of authoritarianism, while also offering a robust critique of Israel's lethal politics and a new, much-needed vision of democratic emotionality. A must-read!"
—Lilie Chouliaraki, London School of Economics

"Combining penetrating social-scientific analysis with revealing interviews, Illouz offers original insights into Israel's longstanding and intensifying embrace of populism. Pithy, smart, and timely, this book should be read by anyone interested in contemporary Israeli politics and society."
—Derek Penslar, author of Zionism: An Emotional State

"[A] sobering account ... suggests that hope, in principle, can strengthen the bonds of fraternity not just among the nation's own members but with other countries as well, opening the way to dialogue, tolerance, and justice."
—Robert Zaretsky, The Atlantic

"an engaging analysis"
—Emotions & Society

Eva Illouz is Directrice d’Etudes at the EHESS in Paris and Rose Isaac Chair of Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.