Dear Jüngerites: Since DIE SCHERE #24 & 25 are related, permit me to essay a vernacular English translation, building on the versions done by Walter and taking Richard's comments into account. #24 text: Es spricht für Schopenhauers geistige Unbefangenheit, daß er sich eingehend mit dem Grenzproblem des Zweiten Gesichts beschäftigt hat. Er rechnet es dem »transzendenten Fatalismus« zu—der Überzeugung von der Vorausbestimmung künftiger Dinge, die auf persönlicher Erfahrung beruht. Für Schopenhauer ist die Weltgeschichte eigentlich nur die Abfolge zufälliger Konstellationen—real dagegen ist der Einzelne. Ihm allein kommt eine unmittelbare metaphysische Beziehung zu. »Daher ist sein Lebenslauf, so verworren er auch scheinen mag, ein in sich übereinstimmendes, bestimmte Tendenz und belehrenden Sinn habendes Ganzes, so gut wie das durchdachteste Epos.« #24 translation: It speaks well for Schopenhauer's intellectual openness that he carefully considered the borderline problem of second sight. He attributed it to "transcendental fatalism"--the conviction, based on personal experience, that one can sense future things in advance. For Schopenhauer world history is actually only the sequence of chance constellations--real against this is the individual. He alone is granted a direct metaphysical relationship. "Thus his life's course, disordered as it may seem, is an interrelated whole with a definite direction and an edifying meaning, as good as the most carefully composed epic." #25 text: Das Zweite Gesicht ist, besonders auf keltischen Böden, eine nicht seltene Erscheinung; Spuren davon finden sich, gewissermaßen als Stammwürze, bei irischen Romanciers. Es auf einen zerebralen Vorgang zu reduzieren, dürfte schwierig sein. Als Vorschau ist es der Prophezeiung ähnlich, obwohl das Erhabene keine Rolle spielt. Absenz, Entrückung geht hier wie dort voraus. Näher liegt die Verwandtschaft mit epileptischen Anfällen. Die Entrückung kommt unvermutet; sie zeigt Nebendinge, auch Unfälle, Begräbnisse, »Vorbrände«. Soldaten in fremden Uniformen werden nicht als Feinde wahrgenommen, sondern wie sie ein Kind am Wegrand sieht. Die Visionen reichen nur über einige Jahre hinaus, sind bodenständig, die Bestätigung kann schon am nächsten Morgen eintreten. Französische Kürassiere ritten durch Westfalen, als Napoleon noch Kriegsschüler war. #25 translation: Second sight is not a rare occurrence, especially on Celtic soil. Traces are found--as the leavening yeast, so to speak-- among the Irish romantics. To reduce it to a cerebral process should be difficult. As foresight it is akin to prophecy, though the elevated plays no roll. Nothingness, transport precede the one and the other. Closer lies the relationship with epileptic fits. The transport comes unexpectedly; it shows subliminal things, even accidents, funerals, "fires about to start." Soldiers in foreign uniforms are not perceived as enemies, but as a child at the side of the road sees them. The visions reach only a few years ahead, are close to home, confirmation can arrive the next morning. French curassiers were riding through Westfalia while Napoleon was still attending military school. ************************************ Comments: Again Jnger is trying to prove that no matter what you do, it has meaning. If you walk out into the street and get killed, your life has as much meaning as if you reached the other side and discovered the cure for cancer. Pursuing this paradoxical and disturbing thought, he is now reaching into the metaphysical. It turns out that some people can sense this element; they can see the chance happenings in advance, chance happenings that would seem to spoil man's plans, but that actually advance or complete each individual story. They are in tune with "metaphysical fatalism." I have been thinking about this, and I think it opposes two perspectives. Let us consider the world of classical music. Schubert's "unfinished symphony" (traditionally his 8th, but actually his 7th) was, indeed, not completed. Yet it has enjoyed unparallelled fame as "the unfinished symphony"-- something wonderful and mysterious in its own right. Some commentators have felt that its two movements are so magnificent that it could never have been finished. The same thing is said about Bruckner's unfinished 9th. Mahler's 10th, on the other hand, was left unfinished, but with sketches that musicologists used to finish for him, giving rise to controversy, intensified attention to Mahler's style and perhaps even greater appreciation for his art. So for Schubert, Bruckner and Mahler lack of completion was not so bad--their story was told. And what about Pergolesi, who died so young--1710-1736? Well, a legend grew up about him, and other composers wrote or fabricated works attributed to him; he enjoys a special distinction in the history of music. And Arriaga, who died even younger--1806-1826? Aha, he is known as "the Spanish Mozart" and famed for his precocious talent. So this is one perspective--the post-mortem verdict, the fatalistic "what is, is good." It is Jnger's perspective: no matter when someone dies, people afterwards will find a way to interpret the life, and so it will have meaning. The second perspective, which Jnger discards, retains the "what if"? What if Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga had lived more than twenty years? Can there be any doubt that he would have written operas and symphonies and concertos on the level of the great masters? He would have been not just "the Spanish Mozart" prized for his youthful promise, but Spain's greatest composer whose works would have delighted the world for 150 years, whose works would still have a history, a tradition, followers. And this was what he wanted, this was his intended life's course.
Follow Ups to this Message
Markup © John King, 2008. Web archive generated Tue, 21st August 2007.