"In these essays, Eco recalls experiencing liberation from fascism in Italy as a boy, and examines the various historical forms of fascism, always with an eye to such ugly manifestations today. And finally, in an intensely personal open letter to an Italian cardinal, Eco questions what it means to be moral or ethical when one doesn't believe in God.". "As thoughtful and subtle as they are pragmatic and relevant, these essays present one of the world's most important thinkers at the height of his critical powers."--BOOK JACKET.