Final exam

    Nihilism in Germany around the early nineteenth century can be determined by various movements: artistic, religious, economical, political, cultural.  Writers, painters, musicians, community organizers or politic party leaders especially in Germany, who broadcasted  negative social issues through paintings and mass communication like the cinema in order to clearly govern and emphasize new approach or strategy plans to reform the previous government that was divided into different socio-economic class.

     Some political parties that existed were: The socio democratic party, the largest party but depended on other parties like the Catholic Center Party and the German Democratic Party (Deutsche Demokratische Partei, DDP) to form a majority. The DDP was made up of left-leaning liberals and intellectuals like Max Weber, this party was the weak link in the chain however and could not deliver enough of the votes. After 1920 this coalition never received a majority again. In order to form a majority government a “Grand Coalition"  would have to include the conservative, right-leaning parties, like the German People’s Party (Deutsche Volkspartei, DVP) that represented big business interests, or the German National People’s Party (Deutschenationale Volkspartei, DNVP) which represented the remaining feudal nobles and was the most conservative class in Germany outside of the Nazis.

      Dadaism as a worldwide movement had begun. Many figures of Dada  change in "tactics" from revolutionary  Nazism seizure of power in the state to artistic production is relevant in itself as it suggests a retreat from more direct modes of confrontation with political authorities.

Jünger endorses the historical theory stating that liberalism basically died during the World War I and we have now entered a "post-liberal" phase in history. This approach is parallel to the famous Nietzsche–who is  Nihilistic based on his statement that  "God is dead"; ,and the religious sector of German’s society is established on the purpose to generate wealth, to make science  and new technology, innovations accessible to a group of individuals. Moreover,  Jünger's lament over the conditions of modern life and the loss of values are in his view this loss is nihilistic.    

    However, not many writers can bring you in to the "eye of the storm" so to speak and provide a sociological and cultural analysis of life inside Nazi Germany–even if Jünger is careful to avoid any explicit reference to the Nazi party. At many points it seems as if the essay is to provide a strategy for how to adapt to life like this, which is basically be an obedient worker and do what you are told.

   For most conservatives the pain of life from Junger vision, dissolves–or negates–the structures of "metaphysics," systems of ideas based on concepts like: freedom, justice, and progress. In a very real sense pain is the ultimate reality; the others are illusions. 

     The development of Marxist thinking to take into account cultural and psychological factors to better explain the resistance of the workers to revolutionary politics was one of the prime motivations for the establishment of institutions like the Institute for Social Research, also known as the Frankfurt School.

    The history impact of these Dadaism artists to  present day  as quietly  change ruling party in Germany the Christian Democratic Union is still conservative but favors government intervention in economic matters. The modern day version has unified Catholics and Protestants (divided along Southern and Northern regions in Germany), who were still separate during the early 20th century.  The social democratic party was supposed to represent the working class, and for decades it did. 

Walter Benjamin: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

The first thesis is an allegorical piece that lays out Benjamin's approach to studying history by combining historical materialism with theology.

 Historical materialism is the name that Karl Marx gave to his own approach to studying history: an unceasing struggle between competing economic classes that go through various stages of productive development and decline culminating in capitalism in the present, with the belief that the true end of historical development will be completed with the creation of a socialist society in the future. Marxism to this extent is also a part of Enlightenment thinking because it is also driven by, at the time, a new sense of historical awareness.

The scientific method is the proper means of studying the material (or physical) aspects of society, and so Marxism always identified itself as a scientific theory. However, science by itself can only understand material life, what remains is the ideal or cultural part of life which historical materialism dismisses as unimportant. What Benjamin is saying in short, that the scientific theory of historical materialism must be united with theology or religion in order to have a true grasp of human life and retain the human concern with emancipation. In other words, Benjamin is trying to see if there is a way to reconcile science with religion which seems to be a distinctly modern problem that people are still dealing with today. However, this view is at odds with Marx's thought who rejected religion and theism as "opiates for the masses

The second, third and fourth theses outline what should be the focus of history. Benjamin argues in the second that redemption is fundamentally tied to our idea of happiness and that the concern with the past shows a concern with redemption. Redemption meaning the ability to fix or correct past injustices. History should then bring out and make people aware of the long history of injustices inflicted upon people. Becoming aware of this will help motivate people to want to put an end to injustice or as he says, "like every generation that preceded us, we have been endowed with a weak Messianic power, a power to which the past has a claim. That claim cannot be settled cheaply". It cannot be settled cheaply because it is a claim made not only by the present generation, but by all the previous generations that have come before

All of these theses suggest that prior histories have tended to overlook or suppress the histories of the oppressed classes. The next several deal with the failures of the bourgeois classes to create accurate and reliable historical works, and how this serves a political function.

      " The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" , as the above illustrations deriving from Walter Benjamin essay, direct we the audience on how to identify  and develop new strategies plans for the future generations from the pains and diseases  of  various  social inequality factors that culminated into  world war I and II and the Great depression. 

As dadaism artists, Benjamin essay is composed of photo montages quotes, because it was  dadaism period. 

5/1 On Pain

As a rule one will not have to go far to uncover the pain. Indeed, even the individual is not fully free from pain in this joyful state of security. The artificial check on the elementary forces might be able to prevent violent clashes and to ward off shadows, but it cannot stop the dispersed light with which pain permeates life. The vessel, sealed off from pain’s full flow, is filled drop by drop. Boredom is nothing other than the dissolution of pain in time (p.13)
    There is not a  situation without pain,  pain exist in every existing, imaginary or  secure world each individual life no matter how this individual's life is seen at different angles of beauty. Moreover, this pain is like the blood circulating in the vessels or arteries. Refering to Nihilism in Germany, the weimar republic, frankfurt school, Marxism, were different reforms or constitutions, developed plans to bring harmony and organize German's government ; but creating harmony in a goup, a community, a country is  is a streneous enterprise, for obstacles to transpast especially in, life style, psychology, behavior, and knowledge, thoughs.  Every action measured smaller like an atom does matter in elaborating and executing these laws.

Hitler's Final Speech at his Trial for Treason, March 27, 1924

Then, gentlemen, not you will be the ones to deliver the verdict over us, but that verdict will be given by the eternal judgment of history, which will speak out against the accusation that has been made against us. I know what your judgment will be. But that other court will not ask us: Have you committed high treason or not? That court will judge us, their quartermaster-general of the old army, its officers and soldiers, who as Germans wanted only the best for their people and Fatherland, who fought and who were willing to die. You might just as well find us guilty a thousand times, but the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear up the motions of the state's attorney and the judgment of this court: for she finds us not guilty.¹

By evaluating the above paragraph, i find that Hitler is concerned about the consequence of being the prime leader of German's army into the war. He is persuating his innocence over all the afther math result of the German's army ( death of soldiers and the overthrow of the previous governement (weimar republic).

Max Weber: Politics as a Vocation

    At the same time everyone who lives ‘for’ politics (vocation), also lives ‘off’ politics (avocation) in that they are financially dependent upon politics for a livelihood. However, the typical way in which politics, status honor, and meaning intersect and mediate each other is through nationalism. The nation then becomes the substitute for the loss of meaning in traditional authorities caused by the rise of nihilistic thought in the late 19th century. The nation becomes a substitute for God. The concept of civic religion is related to this idea and is closely related to the development of republican states in the ancient world.
     With the nihilism approach, stating that the nation becomes a substitute for God is the truth about a government. To further explained, the  nation is the absolute eye for each citizen.

4/10 The Weimar Republic

 Article 48: which gives the president the power to suspend civil liberties in times of crisis. This was the legal pretext the Nazis used to turn Germany into a dictatorship. 

    During period of crisis such as, political ,economical or civil revolution, i will agree that weimar president's power to suspend some civil liberties that can cause serious consequences to the well being of the citizens. For example, many rumors turns into gossip that eventually result into public mannifestation that disturb the management of government business, and individual bussiness.

Article 119: which provides constitutional protection for marriage and motherhood: 
     Marriage, as the foundation of the family and the preservation and expansion of the nation enjoys the special protection of the constitution. It is based on the equality of both genders. It is the task of both the state and the communities to strengthen and socially promote the family. Large families may claim social welfare. Motherhood is placed under state protection and welfare.

Under this article, i understand the value of  the marriage system,  the union of one male and one female  to create a family and their right to live happilly  is fully protected by the governement.  i strongly agree to this concept for the fact, it is constitutionally elaborated and clearly identify what is a husban and a wife. A couple whose income is not sufficient providing  a healthy grow of their offspring are entitle to benefit social welfare.       

Article146: The Weimar Constitution not only provides a right to education but specifies in detail what this right entails

    Within the communities, at the request of Erziehungsberechtigten (legal guardian), Volksschulen (primary school) of their confession or world outlook have to be established, if this does not obstruct the regular operation of the school. The wish of those Erziehungsberechtigter has, when possible, to be considered. Further details are specified by state legislation, according to principles laid down in a Reich law. Reich, states and communities have to provide funds to allow poor children access to middle and high schools, to grant financial aid to parents, whose children are regarded qualified for the education on middle and high schools, until their education is ended.

Definitely weimar constitution  guarant a formal education to every child. It does not discriminate any child to addent school, Middle and high school are based on an elementary school common for everybody. Also, financial aid is available for those qualified but who are unable to afford tuition. A child admission in a school is not affiliated to his or her economic status, religion belief, or social position.

3/20 The German Revolution of 1918 & Spartacus Uprising 1919

One thing is certain. The world war is a turning point. It is foolish and mad to imagine that we need only survive the war, like a rabbit waiting out the storm under a bush, in order to fall happily back into the old routine once it is over. The world war has altered the conditions of our struggle and, most of all, it has changed us. Not that the basic law of capitalist development, the life-and-death war between capital and labor, will experience any amelioration. But now, in the midst of the war, the masks are falling and the old familiar visages smirk at us. The tempo of development has received a mighty jolt from the eruption of the volcano of imperialism. The violence of the conflicts in the bosom of society, the enormousness of the tasks that tower up before the socialist proletariat – these make everything that has transpired in the history of the workers’ movement seem a pleasant idyll.


 Obviously, this passage defines the Chaos in German government during the war period. The tempo of development has received a mighty jolt from the eruption of the volcano of imperialism (Luxemburg's essay). it defines a dead government, at this point the religious sector, proletarian, political parties all resembled  like a rabbit waiting out the storm under a bush, in order to fall happily back into the old routine once it is over.  in brief, if i imagine myself in that period of war in Germany,  i was living under violence, no shelter, no  food, prone to violence, no proper road to take in surviving. And Nietzsche would  agree as nihilism in Germany.Moreover, all the departments of  German's government, are not operating  on their  normal routine, corruption in the labor department is dominant, ignited conflict between capital and labor has not been reformed.