ernst jünger in cyberspace

mailing list archive - [Juenger-list] Der Träumer

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Greetings all,

If I may be allowed to quote from two of Richard's postings:

<< [T]hese "mystical" aspects form an integral and essential part of=20
Juenger's philosophy. There's no way of ignoring or belittling them.  [...]=20
You miss the point completely. Juenger is not about "Realpolitik" [...] and=20
to use the term "business" in connection with Juenger is, let's say,=20
problematic as well. >>

For what it's worth, I agree entirely.  To view J=FCnger as some kind of=20
political analyst not only misses the point, but also belittles the man and=20
his work.  The mystical elements that beat at the heart of EJ's ouevre are,=20=
I=20
believe, more than simple imagery, but are indicative of a tendency towards=20=
a=20
kind of spiritualised romanticism and a highly indvidualistic=20
"Innerlichkeit".  J=FCnger may have addressed contemporary issues, but he=20
always did so from a trans-temporal perspective, which was informed by his=20
interest in the atavistic and the mythical.  Even the most cursory glance at=
=20
the writings produced during his hotly debated nationalist phase reveals an=20
attitude far removed from "Realpolitik".  EJ constantly places emphasis on=20
the irrational, "spiritual" aspects of life.  I feel that his dynmaic,=20
vitalistic language, whilst rooted in the "jugendbewegt" Lebensphilosophie s=
o=20
beloved of the Conservative Revolution, indicates clearly the metaphysical=20
nature of J=FCnger's thought.  A few brief examples: the New Man described i=
n=20
"Der Kampf als inneres Erlebnis" may portray an actual historical "type", bu=
t=20
it is couched in spiritual, transcendental terminology.  This results in the=
=20
ex-Frontk=E4mpfer being mythologised to the point of apotheosis.  Did not th=
e=20
"political" J=FCnger constantly talk of listening to the instict, to the blo=
od,=20
rather than to the cold, soulless rationality of the hated, bourgeois=20
Kaiserreich?  What are the proto-psychedelic landscapes of "In=20
Stahlgewittern" if not a dream-like, almost drunken impression of something=20
that occurred in time and space?

Anyway, time is against me, so... just my two Pfennigs!

In Amicitia,

Nick.


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2>Greetings all,
<BR>
<BR>If I may be allowed to quote from two of Richard's postings:
<BR>
<BR>&lt;&lt; [T]hese "mystical" aspects form an integral and essential part=20=
of Juenger's philosophy. There's no way of ignoring or belittling them. &nbs=
p;[...] You miss the point completely. Juenger is not about "Realpolitik" [.=
..] and to use the term "business" in connection with Juenger is, let's say,=
 problematic as well. &gt;&gt;
<BR>
<BR>For what it's worth, I agree entirely. &nbsp;To view J=FCnger as some ki=
nd of political analyst not only misses the point, but also belittles the ma=
n and his work. &nbsp;The mystical elements that beat at the heart of EJ's o=
uevre are, I believe, more than simple imagery, but are indicative of a tend=
ency towards a kind of spiritualised romanticism and a highly indvidualistic=
 "Innerlichkeit". &nbsp;J=FCnger may have addressed contemporary issues, but=
 he always did so from a trans-temporal perspective, which was informed by h=
is interest in the atavistic and the mythical. &nbsp;Even the most cursory g=
lance at the writings produced during his hotly debated nationalist phase re=
veals an attitude far removed from "Realpolitik". &nbsp;EJ constantly places=
 emphasis on the irrational, "spiritual" aspects of life. &nbsp;I feel that=20=
his dynmaic, vitalistic language, whilst rooted in the "jugendbewegt" Lebens=
philosophie so beloved of the Conservative Revolution, indicates clearly the=
 metaphysical nature of J=FCnger's thought. &nbsp;A few brief examples: the=20=
New Man described in "Der Kampf als inneres Erlebnis" may portray an actual=20=
historical "type", but it is couched in spiritual, transcendental terminolog=
y. &nbsp;This results in the ex-Frontk=E4mpfer being mythologised to the poi=
nt of apotheosis. &nbsp;Did not the "political" J=FCnger constantly talk of=20=
listening to the instict, to the blood, rather than to the cold, soulless ra=
tionality of the hated, bourgeois Kaiserreich? &nbsp;What are the proto-psyc=
hedelic landscapes of "In Stahlgewittern" if not a dream-like, almost drunke=
n impression of something that occurred in time and space?
<BR>
<BR>Anyway, time is against me, so... just my two Pfennigs!
<BR>
<BR>In Amicitia,
<BR>
<BR>Nick.
<BR></FONT></HTML>

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