_The Worker: Mastery and Figure_ published in 1932 remains one of Juenger's most important works. The publisher at the time described it as an exposition of twentieth century "meaning and will". In the book a new planetary style was prognosticated. As the years went by Juenger in his essays and in his diaries commented on The Worker, never translated into English. Some of those comments can be found=20 in "Der Waldgang", "Der gordische Knoten" and especially in _Minima-Maxima_ presented 1964 as a commentary on The Worker. Thus the more concrete ideas that were expressed in the original work was later revised. It was more presented as a work describing the future dominance of global technology (and science, one must presume). Also the views of Juenger on technology were changed after the Second World War, becoming more pessimistic. In the original Juenger saw a future technocratic state manned by soldier-workers. Technology was sweeping away the old contests of ideology, capitalist and communist. A hallmark of the new state was its universal character with industrial and technological tasks, work becoming the main goal. History was moving toward its unitary completion. The admirers of technology, of which Juenger at that time must be regarded as one, saw the world becoming efficient. In The Worker Juenger describes, more or less, a Hobbesian state, influenced, as has been claimed, by Carl Schmitt and the friend-foe relations among nations. The use of Gestalt (Figure) in the book is contributing to complicating the interpretation. Figure is a whole greater than the sum of its parts, as man is more than the sum of his atoms. Humanity as Figure belongs to eternity. The aggressive language of the book was typical of the era, and should not deceive the reader, who may strive toward ignoring the era style and look for permanent parts of the work. Work in The Worker is not seen as grim, around the clock toiling, rather the pursuit of one's own laws, an autonomous expression of one's self. The Worker is an emerging power and work is transforming the landscape, turning it into an industrial one. "In technology we recognize the = effective, incontestable tool of total revolution." The continued value of The Worker is that Juenger was able to describe an age of transformation after the First World War, a transformation = that was continued after the Second World War. The introduction of atom and hydrogen bombs no doubt quickended the transformation. Juenger pointed out that responsible use of technology was important. It is necessary to master danger to avoid anxiety. The mission of technology is service to power, pacific or military. With the end of the Cold War and during the 1990s globalization has = become a catchword and one can certainly claim that Juenger with his book The = Worker was one of the first to describe the coming outgrowth of technology as = being global in character. In one of the volumes of _Seventy Wanes_ Juenger wrote: "Technology can assume a magical tendency, it can become spiritual or turn to = stone..." With a future that holds artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, = superlongevity, transhumanism and many other factors one might wonder if what Juenger wrote late in life on technology assuming a magical tendency is as = correct as his forecast in 1932. Bertil Haggman
Markup © John King, July 2001.