Barbara Chitussi "Paradosso della libertà"

April 6, 2026·22 min·2 clips

Barbara Chitussi explores why people felt freest under Nazi occupation, introducing Sartre's paradox of freedom.

The episode begins with a reading from Chitussi's book, presenting the paradox that people felt freest under Nazi occupation despite losing all rights. Host introduces Barbara Chitussi, a philosophy professor at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Chitussi explains she teaches future pedagogists and philosophers, focusing on freedom and action in times of violence and war. She introduces Sartre's concept of 'freedom in situation' rather than absolute freedom. The discussion centers on Sartre's political theater, which Chitussi argues hasn't been sufficiently studied in its original context. Sartre's theatrical awakening began in a Nazi prison camp where fellow prisoners asked him to write. He discovered theater's power to unite collectives, even in religious terms, with prisoners identifying with stories of occupied Palestine. A decisive moment came in July 1941 when Sartre attended an anti-fascist show at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. This show, directed by anarchist Jean-Louis Barraud, featured rebellious themes despite being organized by the Vichy Ministry. Sartre decided at this event to do politics through theater. Chitussi explains Sartre's earlier philosophical work on depersonalization and freedom from ego bonds, which he found inadequate. Theater provided a solution through actors unrealizing themselves by interpreting characters. She discusses Sartre's collaboration with directors like Jacques Copot, who used neutral masks to help actors find sincere, depersonalized truth. The conversation turns to emotions, with Chitussi explaining Sartre's view that emotions are a theatrical 'magic' where people recite parts. This relates to the Diderot paradox about actors being exhausted yet effective, which Sartre resolved through unrealization. In closing, Chitussi suggests applying Sartre's ideas today through theatrical actions that modify mass structures and spur real action. She dedicates her book to philosopher Maria Bettetini and recommends Monique Wittig's feminist novel 'Le Popop' as contemporary reading on freedom.

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