This is an astonishing read . I don’t recollect having read anything as insightful and rich in depth . Brilliant writing . It feels like an epochal piece . A call to action and awakening .
The German (really Mitteleuropean) affection for the American Western genre seems like it could get plugged in here somewhere, but probably deserves an article of its own.
Only this afternoon I was trying to place the current round of German hysteria (found your post through comments at Eugypius' latest) into some kind of greater context of an underlying German identity/philosophy. I was left ruminating upon German Angst, Schuld, Ordnung, and so on, but your rich, reflective, and very refreshing post has offered much more food for thought.
The idea of the modern "truncated German soul" seems quite apt, and I realise the circles in which I have felt most at home here have been of those connected to "non-reductionist, wholesome, metaphysical views" of life.
By the way, that quote from Planck's advice to Heisenberg is truly remarkable and I only wish I had been aware of it during the pandemic hysteria.
What a discovery for a diasporic German! I have lost the language now, even though it was my first, and the war still haunts via inter-generational trauma. ‘Down under’ wasn’t far enough, for there is no escaping this soul splitting. The German spirit is alive in me and unfolding in my dreams and writing, which are concerned with the very subject of integration you write so eloquently about. This essay was such a metaphysical treat. Thank you! ♥️
I can't thank you enough for this essay. It has huge resonances beyond its apparent theme. It has also given me courage regarding my own necessary inner exile and waldgang.
>after the philosophical school of German idealism, to many Anglo ears the epitome of irrationality
No, many accepted them enthusiastically. F.H. Bradley, Hegel-fan, was by the end of the 19th century the most typical British thinker. The whole thing is not as un-anti-scientific as it seems. The core idea is the difference between appearance and reality, so the Sun appears to revolve around the Earth but in reality does not. Species appear unchanging, because they change slowly. Lead appears to be similar and therefore changeable to gold, as they are both soft metals.
No, I think the big deal was that famous culture vs. civilization split which even got into WWI propaganda. Thomas Mann who was clearly not a war propagandist and generally a humane and reasonable guy, still criticized his brother for being a "civilization writer", which means caring too much for political causes instead of aiming for the stars. But the thing is, people will care about politics anyway, and this is the great tragedy of not only Germany but the whole of the Continent, basically politics based on art, poetry etc. which leads to great irrationality. "I am moved by this poem, now let's do stuff" is terrible but it is all over the Continent. For example those Hungarians who still did not get over losing Transsylvania to Romania are greatly moved by Albert Wass's poetry about mountains being pretty...
I was referring more to today's Anglo ears. Indeed, British idealism used to be a strong current, and it's a shame it was so completely displaced by analytic philosophy.
I am sure that I mourn and miss "The German Soul", because I instinctively feel that I have been spectating, numerous times, outstanding "expressions of God", very creative outburst - originating from Germany.
Well, if so, know how much I am sorry. I could not express anything better than "on a psychedelic trip" for current Germany. But I know the Germans. they are calm, stable people, a bit like the Brits and their flegm.
In so, whatever is happening to Germany is artificial, most probably planned. Looking at Sebastian Haffner's book showed me this wouldn't have been the first time that they go through something akin to "an experiment with bold steps".
I am really shocked by what is happening to Germany, and what the medias feature: some complete reversal and antagonistical stuff. But I know the Germans and that's not how they are.
If this is serious, Germans may not get out of their bubble, then, like Switzerland. People have been used to build themselves a materialistic bubble and allowed to build their own world. They are the kings of their castles, too much, and whatever they feel is right becomes golden rule, and people expressing things shaking the bubbles layers are carefully dismissed. What opportunities remain?
"It is often claimed that Germans are particularly obedient to authority. There is certainly some truth to that, as we could see during COVID-mania. Whether Germans just behaved worse than some, better than others, or they really channelled their inner Prussian Kadavergehorsam, coldly doing what they are told without second thought, is, at the end of the day, hard to say."
I am recovering from a silent bout of mirthless laughter. Yes, they behaved worse. Yes, it was blind obedience and whatever else that disquieting word encompasses. It was all of it.
I seem not to have gotten the memo about transcendence, mysticism, poeticism, Romanticism, and (checks notes) - Soul.
I was subjected to a special round of Teutonic "rationalism" and Scientism-worship during these last three years. Trust me, the unquestioning, accusatory, recriminatory, judgemental occupant of my own patch of German-Anglo technocratic, government-worshipping hell has about as much transcendence as a slab of concrete, is about as mystical as a lab-grown chop, as poetic as a white coat, and wouldn't find his Soul if it slapped him in the face while standing in an empty lit room and yelling "I AM YOUR SOUL!". Because he ain't looking for it, trust me. Therefore it doesn't exist. QED. Or maybe it's the other way round. Whatever. I guess that gives licence to trample on all other souls, because you can't damage anything that doesn't exist, right? I dared challenge the God of Science and, by extension, His (Its?) Chosen Teutonic Purveyors of Settled Truth. The punishment was cold and vicious indeed.
A strange striving for the "overcoming of loneliness" for this particular race of souls. Or not-souls, whichever it is. My particular one is actively alienating the one with whom he swore an oath to do just that. In this life, that is. Pity, since apparently there is nothing beyond this life. So I guess there won't be any overcoming, ever.
I grew up worshipping at the musical altars of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Strauss, Handel, Telemann, Mozart, Haydn (ok, the last two are close enough). It was my first glimpse of transcendent Beauty and the tantalising promise of a soul. I think all the Teutonic soul got spent. Romanticism has been reduced to voyeuristic peeking at atoms under microscopes. Or electron microscopes. Or particle accelerators. Whatever.
Vielen Dank. Now I understand why I was so attracted to learning German in college, even though I had a Latin language background (Spanish, Italian) and had not read much German literature. Where the Geist came through for me, though, was in the music. The piano music of the German Romantics as a group is still my favorite to play, and has a great healing effect on me when I do. I ended up taking my fourth college year in Heidelberg, and loved it there - walked the Philosophenweg, and I know where the header photo was taken. Unfortunately, I have not been able to return - but my year there was a highlight of my life. When I was there (mid-'70s) there had not yet been any substantive recovery in the soul of the people from the destruction of Nazism, but all you highlight of its beauty was still present, underneath the pain and trauma. This article helped me understand so much that, even having lived there, I have not been able to articulate.
> For a long time, European thought has been bashed from the Anglo perspective, to the point that we are even blamed philosophically for the woke ideology, as if this wasn’t, at the end of the day, entirely a US product.
Are you continentals really going to pretend Sartre and Foucault didn't exist?
This is an astonishing read . I don’t recollect having read anything as insightful and rich in depth . Brilliant writing . It feels like an epochal piece . A call to action and awakening .
You’ve become quite the writer, luc. Probably your best to date!
Danke
The German (really Mitteleuropean) affection for the American Western genre seems like it could get plugged in here somewhere, but probably deserves an article of its own.
Excellent!
Only this afternoon I was trying to place the current round of German hysteria (found your post through comments at Eugypius' latest) into some kind of greater context of an underlying German identity/philosophy. I was left ruminating upon German Angst, Schuld, Ordnung, and so on, but your rich, reflective, and very refreshing post has offered much more food for thought.
The idea of the modern "truncated German soul" seems quite apt, and I realise the circles in which I have felt most at home here have been of those connected to "non-reductionist, wholesome, metaphysical views" of life.
By the way, that quote from Planck's advice to Heisenberg is truly remarkable and I only wish I had been aware of it during the pandemic hysteria.
Thank you for writing and sharing.
What a discovery for a diasporic German! I have lost the language now, even though it was my first, and the war still haunts via inter-generational trauma. ‘Down under’ wasn’t far enough, for there is no escaping this soul splitting. The German spirit is alive in me and unfolding in my dreams and writing, which are concerned with the very subject of integration you write so eloquently about. This essay was such a metaphysical treat. Thank you! ♥️
Thank you for your comment and the encouragement! I'm a diasporic German myself, maybe a certain distance can help sometimes. All the best to you!
Where do you reside now?
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury.
George Washington
I can't thank you enough for this essay. It has huge resonances beyond its apparent theme. It has also given me courage regarding my own necessary inner exile and waldgang.
Count me in as a German fanboy. They always did do the best thinking, unlike the dry and boring Brits. This article made my day.
>after the philosophical school of German idealism, to many Anglo ears the epitome of irrationality
No, many accepted them enthusiastically. F.H. Bradley, Hegel-fan, was by the end of the 19th century the most typical British thinker. The whole thing is not as un-anti-scientific as it seems. The core idea is the difference between appearance and reality, so the Sun appears to revolve around the Earth but in reality does not. Species appear unchanging, because they change slowly. Lead appears to be similar and therefore changeable to gold, as they are both soft metals.
No, I think the big deal was that famous culture vs. civilization split which even got into WWI propaganda. Thomas Mann who was clearly not a war propagandist and generally a humane and reasonable guy, still criticized his brother for being a "civilization writer", which means caring too much for political causes instead of aiming for the stars. But the thing is, people will care about politics anyway, and this is the great tragedy of not only Germany but the whole of the Continent, basically politics based on art, poetry etc. which leads to great irrationality. "I am moved by this poem, now let's do stuff" is terrible but it is all over the Continent. For example those Hungarians who still did not get over losing Transsylvania to Romania are greatly moved by Albert Wass's poetry about mountains being pretty...
I was referring more to today's Anglo ears. Indeed, British idealism used to be a strong current, and it's a shame it was so completely displaced by analytic philosophy.
Heidelberg?
Yep
I am sure that I mourn and miss "The German Soul", because I instinctively feel that I have been spectating, numerous times, outstanding "expressions of God", very creative outburst - originating from Germany.
Eh ... I suppose that you're German, right?
Well, if so, know how much I am sorry. I could not express anything better than "on a psychedelic trip" for current Germany. But I know the Germans. they are calm, stable people, a bit like the Brits and their flegm.
In so, whatever is happening to Germany is artificial, most probably planned. Looking at Sebastian Haffner's book showed me this wouldn't have been the first time that they go through something akin to "an experiment with bold steps".
I am really shocked by what is happening to Germany, and what the medias feature: some complete reversal and antagonistical stuff. But I know the Germans and that's not how they are.
If this is serious, Germans may not get out of their bubble, then, like Switzerland. People have been used to build themselves a materialistic bubble and allowed to build their own world. They are the kings of their castles, too much, and whatever they feel is right becomes golden rule, and people expressing things shaking the bubbles layers are carefully dismissed. What opportunities remain?
Beautiful scene of a red sunset in Heidelberg. A magical city.
Oh boy. I knew this would be a good one.
"It is often claimed that Germans are particularly obedient to authority. There is certainly some truth to that, as we could see during COVID-mania. Whether Germans just behaved worse than some, better than others, or they really channelled their inner Prussian Kadavergehorsam, coldly doing what they are told without second thought, is, at the end of the day, hard to say."
I am recovering from a silent bout of mirthless laughter. Yes, they behaved worse. Yes, it was blind obedience and whatever else that disquieting word encompasses. It was all of it.
I seem not to have gotten the memo about transcendence, mysticism, poeticism, Romanticism, and (checks notes) - Soul.
I was subjected to a special round of Teutonic "rationalism" and Scientism-worship during these last three years. Trust me, the unquestioning, accusatory, recriminatory, judgemental occupant of my own patch of German-Anglo technocratic, government-worshipping hell has about as much transcendence as a slab of concrete, is about as mystical as a lab-grown chop, as poetic as a white coat, and wouldn't find his Soul if it slapped him in the face while standing in an empty lit room and yelling "I AM YOUR SOUL!". Because he ain't looking for it, trust me. Therefore it doesn't exist. QED. Or maybe it's the other way round. Whatever. I guess that gives licence to trample on all other souls, because you can't damage anything that doesn't exist, right? I dared challenge the God of Science and, by extension, His (Its?) Chosen Teutonic Purveyors of Settled Truth. The punishment was cold and vicious indeed.
A strange striving for the "overcoming of loneliness" for this particular race of souls. Or not-souls, whichever it is. My particular one is actively alienating the one with whom he swore an oath to do just that. In this life, that is. Pity, since apparently there is nothing beyond this life. So I guess there won't be any overcoming, ever.
I grew up worshipping at the musical altars of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Strauss, Handel, Telemann, Mozart, Haydn (ok, the last two are close enough). It was my first glimpse of transcendent Beauty and the tantalising promise of a soul. I think all the Teutonic soul got spent. Romanticism has been reduced to voyeuristic peeking at atoms under microscopes. Or electron microscopes. Or particle accelerators. Whatever.
Oh, I know alright. I know.
Vielen Dank. Now I understand why I was so attracted to learning German in college, even though I had a Latin language background (Spanish, Italian) and had not read much German literature. Where the Geist came through for me, though, was in the music. The piano music of the German Romantics as a group is still my favorite to play, and has a great healing effect on me when I do. I ended up taking my fourth college year in Heidelberg, and loved it there - walked the Philosophenweg, and I know where the header photo was taken. Unfortunately, I have not been able to return - but my year there was a highlight of my life. When I was there (mid-'70s) there had not yet been any substantive recovery in the soul of the people from the destruction of Nazism, but all you highlight of its beauty was still present, underneath the pain and trauma. This article helped me understand so much that, even having lived there, I have not been able to articulate.
Dana
> For a long time, European thought has been bashed from the Anglo perspective, to the point that we are even blamed philosophically for the woke ideology, as if this wasn’t, at the end of the day, entirely a US product.
Are you continentals really going to pretend Sartre and Foucault didn't exist?