Franz Fanon: 'The Wretched of the Earth'

Franz Fanon’s seminal text ‘Wretched of the Earth’, first published in 1961, advocates a violent approach through which an occupied nation can emancipate itself from colonial oppression. His belief spawns from what he sees as a global divide; the world not being ‘at one’, with humanistic fundamentals overshadowed by racist ideologies. He notes the tangible divide between westernised Europe and underdeveloped Africa/Asia and views these differences to be rooted in colonial history and oppression. Previous colonisation and exploitation by developed countries lends itself to the on-going culture of creating and maintaining prejudices against the underdeveloped. Fanon says of this, we like to ‘keep the enslaved at arm’s length’. This is mirrored in the minimal coverage of the on-going poverty in Africa or furthermore in the western political tradition of making associations in public consciousness between entire countries and terrorism. Fanon considers this a process of dehumanisation, desensitising westerners to the crises faced by non-western humans. Fanon’s humanism is exemplified when he questions; ‘are we not all fellow-Europeans in the marrow of our bones?’ Even migrants to Western Europe from colonised countries tend to neglect the plight of their native man and homeland, becoming ever more wrapped up in western culture. Fanon attributes equal responsibility to all Europeans, proclaiming that we must ‘know ourselves in the light of truth’, and that ‘our ancestors enriched us at the hands of others’, consequently he considers the blood to be on the hands of every European.

                Fanon’s criticism of European colonisation and what he perceives as its indelible, damaging effects leads him to promote aggressive insurgency against western oppression. He epitomises his ideology when he says, ‘Europe has laid her hands on our continents, and we must slash at her fingers until she lets go… Let us start fighting’. Africa, and natives of underdeveloped countries are encouraged to unite and come together to fight against the hegemony of Europe.  This is reminiscent of Marxist ideals; both are seeking to achieve ‘revolutionary socialism’. In Fanon’s scenario the colonised can be seen to represent Marx’s proletariat, in their comparable fight against subjugation and oppression. Unless ‘revolutionary socialism’ is achieved Fanon asserts that, ‘one by one we will be defeated by our former masters’. His goal, he believes, can only be achieved through brute force; confronting state terror with bigger and better violence. This violence will humanise the colonised, making them into authentic, real human beings, and not simply passive zombies controlled by the west. To achieve this, the colonial system must be overthrown by any means necessary and there is no avoidance of this means as ‘national liberation is always violent’. Fanon’s concept is echoed in Nietzsche’s idea of the ‘overman’- the need to overcome and carve out our place in the world according to our own will, and not be constrained by our facticity.

                Fanon’s seemingly extreme ideology can be seen influencing revolutionaries such as Malcolm X and his struggle for black civil rights, his campaign advocated violent reprisal, applying the essence of Fanon’s work. A polarised example would be Ghandi, whom Fanon would have certainly seen as too acquiescent. Fanon’s text, although controversial, cannot be considered as simple aggression and belligerence; his ideas are rooted in humanism, egalitarianism and the breakdown of racial prejudice.