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Oswald Arnold Gottfried Spengler (Blankenburg am Harz May 29, 1880 – May 8, 1936, Munich) was a German historian and philosopher whose interests also included mathematics, science, and art. Blankenburg am Harz is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual He is best known for his book The Decline of the West (Der Untergang des Abendlandes) in which he puts forth a cyclical theory of the rise and decline of civilizations. The Decline of the West ( The Downfall of the Occident) (Der Untergang des Abendlandes is a two-volume work by Oswald Spengler, the first volume Social cycle theories are one of the earliest Social theories in Sociology. A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements After Decline was published in 1918, Spengler produced his Prussianism and Socialism in 1920, in which he argued for an organic version of socialism and authoritarianism. He wrote extensively throughout World War I and the interwar period, and supported German hegemony in Europe. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social The National Socialists held Spengler as an intellectual precursor. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 But he was ostracised after 1933 for his pessimism about Germany and Europe's future, his refusal to support Nazi ideas of racial superiority, and his critical work the Hour of Decision. Ostracism ( ostrakismos) was a procedure under the Athenian democracy in which a prominent Citizen could be expelled from the City-state Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Contents

Biography

Oswald Spengler was born in 1880 in Blankenburg at the foot of the Harz mountains, the eldest of four children, and the only boy. Blankenburg am Harz is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains The Harz is a mountain range in central Germany It is the highest mountain chain in northern Germany occupying parts of the German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt His family was typically conservative German petit-bourgeoisie. His father, originally a mining technician, who came from a long line of mineworkers, was a post office bureaucrat. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body A post office is a facility authorized by a Postal system for the posting receipt sorting handling transmission or delivery of Mail. A bureaucrat is a member of a Bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the Government. His childhood home was emotionally reserved, and the young Spengler turned to books and the great cultural personalities for succor. He suffered imperfect health, and was a lifelong sufferer of migraine headaches and an anxiety complex. Migraine is a neurological Syndrome characterized by altered bodily experiences painful headaches and nausea Anxiety is a physiological and psychological state characterized by Cognitive, Somatic, Emotional and Behavioral components

At the age of ten, his family moved to the university city of Halle. Halle is the largest city in the German State of Saxony-Anhalt. Here Spengler received a classical education in high school, studying Greek, Latin, mathematics and natural sciences. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the Universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of Here, too, he developed his affinity for the arts — especially poetry, drama, and music — and came under the influence of the ideas of Goethe and Nietzsche. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist He even experimented with a few artistic creations, some of which still survive.

After his father's death in 1901, Spengler attended several universities (Munich, Berlin, and Halle) as a private scholar, taking courses in a wide range of subjects: history, philosophy, mathematics, natural science, literature, the classics, music, and fine arts. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München also known as LMU, is a University in Munich and with more For other universities in Berlin see List of Universities in Berlin. The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg also referred to as MLU, is a public University in the cities of Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Fine art is any Art form developed primarily for Aesthetics rather than Utility. His private studies were undirected. In 1903, he failed his doctoral thesis on Heraclitus because of insufficient references, which effectively ended a chance for a career in academia. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting A dissertation (also called thesis or disquisition) is a document that presents the author's Research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature Heraclitus of Ephesus ( Ancient Greek: &mdash grc-Latn ''Hērákleitos ho Ephésios'' English Heraclitus the Ephesian) (ca In 1904, he received his Ph.D., and in 1905 suffered a nervous breakdown. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Mental breakdown (also known as nervous breakdown or snapping) is a non-medical term used to describe a sudden acute attack of Mental illness such as

Scholars remark that his life seemed rather uneventful. He briefly served as a teacher in Saarbrücken and then Düsseldorf. Saarbrücken (ˈzaːɐ̯ˈbrʏkn in German; Sarrebruck is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. And from 1908 to 1911, he taught at a practical high school (Realgymnasium) in Hamburg. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany There he taught science, German history, and mathematics. Despite the lack of a German nation state prior to 1871 the History of Germany dates back to the era of the Germanic tribes.

In 1911, following his mother's death, he moved to Munich, where he would live until his death in 1936. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He lived as a cloistered scholar, supported by his modest inheritance. Spengler lived on very limited means and was marked by loneliness. He owned no books, and took jobs as a tutor or writing for magazines to earn extra money.

He began work on the first volume of Decline intending to focus on Germany within Europe at first, but was deeply affected by the Agadir Crisis, and widened the scope of his study. The Agadir Crisis, also called the Second Moroccan Crisis, was the international tension sparked by the deployment of the German gunboat ''Panther'' Spengler was inspired by Otto Seeck's work The Decline of Antiquity in naming his own effort. Otto Seeck ( 2 February 1850 - 29 June 1921) was a German classical Historian. The book was completed in 1914, but publishing was delayed by World War I. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All During the war, his inheritance was largely useless because it was invested overseas; thus Spengler lived in genuine poverty for this period.

When Decline came out in 1917, it was a wild success because of the perceived national humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles (an accurate prediction by the German population since the war had two more years left to go) and economic depression fueled by hyperinflation seemed to prove Spengler right (Spengler had in fact believed that Germany would win while he was writing the book). Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U Certain figures in this article use Scientific notation for readability It comforted Germans because it seemingly rationalized their downfall as part of larger world-historical processes. It was widely successful outside of Germany as well, and by 1919 had been translated into several other languages. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He rejected a subsequent offer to become Professor of Philosophy at the University of Goettingen, saying he needed time to focus on writing. The University of Göttingen ( German: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) is a University in the city of Göttingen, Germany.

The book was widely discussed, even by those who had not read it. Historians took umbrage at an amateur effort by an untrained author and his unapologetically non-scientific approach. Thomas Mann compared reading Spengler's book to reading Schopenhauer for the first time. Paul Thomas Mann ( June Academics gave it a mixed reception. Max Weber described Spengler as a "very ingenious and learned dilettante" while Karl Popper described the thesis as "pointless". Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (maks 'veːbɐ (21 April 1864 &ndash 14 June 1920 was a German political economist and sociologist who was considered Sir Karl Raimund Popper ( July 28 1902  &ndash September 17 1994) was an Austrian and British Philosopher and a professor The great historian of antiquity Eduard Meyer thought highly of Spengler, although he also had some criticisms of him. Spengler's obscurity, intuitionalism, and mysticism were easy targets, especially for the Positivists and neo-Kantians who saw no meaning in history. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Positivism is the Philosophy that the only authentic knowledge is knowledge that is based on actual sense experience Neo-Kantianism means a revived or modified type of Philosophy along the lines of that laid down by Immanuel Kant in the Eighteenth century or (sometimes The critic and æsthete Count Harry Graf Kessler thought him unoriginal and rather inane, especially with regards to his work on Nietzsche. Harry Kessler (1868 &ndash 1937 was an Anglo-German Count, diplomat writer and patron of modern art Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Ludwig Wittgenstein, however, shared Spengler's cultural pessimism. Spengler's work became an important foundation for the social cycle theory. Social cycle theories are one of the earliest Social theories in Sociology.

A 1928 Time review of the second volume of Decline described the immense influence and controversy Spengler's ideas enjoyed during the 1920s: "When the first volume of The Decline of the West appeared in Germany a few years ago, thousands of copies were sold. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Cultivated European discourse quickly became Spengler-saturated. Spenglerism spurted from the pens of countless disciples. It was imperative to read Spengler, to sympathize or revolt. It still remains so. "[1]

In the second volume, published in 1920, Spengler argued that German socialism was different from Marxism, and was in fact compatible with traditional German conservatism. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In 1924, following the social-economic upheaval and inflation, Spengler entered politics in an effort to bring Reichswehr general Hans von Seeckt to power as the country's leader. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was Hans von Seeckt ( 22 April 1866 - 27 December 1936) was a German military officer noted for his organization of the German Army But the effort failed and Spengler proved ineffective in practical politics. In 1931, he published Man and Technics, which warned against the dangers of technology and industrialism to culture. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Man and Technics A Contribution to a Philosophy of Life is a short Book by Oswald Spengler on Technics. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the He especially pointed to the tendency of Western technology to spread to hostile "Colored races" that would then use the weapons against the West. It was poorly received because of its anti-industrialism. This book contains the well-known Spengler quote, "Optimism is cowardice. "

Despite voting for Hitler over Hindenburg in 1932, Spengler found the Führer vulgar. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. He met Hitler in 1933 and after a lengthy discussion remained unimpressed, saying that Germany didn't need a "heroic tenor (Heldentenor: one of several conventional tenor classifications) but a real hero ("Held"). Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and " He publicly quarreled with Alfred Rosenberg, and his pessimism and remarks about the Führer earned himself isolation and public silence. (12 January 1893 16 October 1946 was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. He further rejected offers from Joseph Goebbels to give public speeches. Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public However, Spengler did become a member of the Academy of Germany in the course of the year.

The Hour of Decision, published in 1934, was a bestseller, but was later banned by the Nazis for its critiques of National Socialism. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Spengler's criticisms of liberalism were welcomed by the Nazis, but Spengler disagreed with their biological ideology and anti-Semitism. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility While racial mysticism played a key role in his own worldview, Spengler had always been an outspoken critic of the pseudoscientific racial theories professed by the Nazis and many others in his time, and was not inclined to change his views upon Hitler's rise to power. Although himself a German nationalist, Spengler also viewed the Nazis as too narrowly German, and not occidental enough to lead the fight against other peoples. The book also warned of a coming world war in which Western Civilization risked being destroyed, and was widely distributed abroad before eventually being banned in Germany. A Time review of The Hour of Decision noted his international popularity as a polemicist, observing that "When Oswald Spengler speaks, many a Western Worldling stops to listen. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and " The review recommended the book for "readers who enjoy vigorous writing," who "will be glad to be rubbed the wrong way by Spengler's harsh aphorisms" and his pessimistic predictions. [2]

He spent his final years in Munich, listening to Beethoven, reading Molière and Shakespeare, buying several thousand books, and collecting ancient Turkish, Persian and Hindu weapons. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his Stage name, Molière, ( January 15, 1622 – February 17 1673) was a French William Shakespeare ( baptised Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical He made occasional trips to the Harz mountains, and to Italy. The Harz is a mountain range in central Germany It is the highest mountain chain in northern Germany occupying parts of the German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Shortly before his death, in a letter to a friend, he remarked that "the German Reich in ten years will probably no longer exist. (ˈraɪk German ˈʁaɪç is a German Loanword cognate with the English Reign, Region, and Rich, but used most to designate " He died of a heart attack on May 8, 1936, three weeks before his 56th birthday and exactly nine years before the fall of the Third Reich. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Victory in Europe Day ( V-E Day or VE Day) was May 7 and May 8, 1945, the dates when the World War II Allies

Although he was highly influential and internationally popular during the interwar period, Oswald Spengler's work fell into intellectual disrepute and obscurity following World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including One of the main reasons he was widely disliked or ignored is that he had been a leading opponent of the Weimar Republic. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 Only recently has interest in Spengler been rekindled. His concepts, opinions, theories, and predictions remain controversial among admirers and detractors alike. [3]

Influence

Spengler's works

Der Untergang des Abendlandes in German. The Decline of the West ( The Downfall of the Occident) (Der Untergang des Abendlandes is a two-volume work by Oswald Spengler, the first volume Original 1919.
(Jahre der Entscheidung).

Further reading


See also

References

  1. ^ Patterns in Chaos
  2. ^ Spengler Speaks
  3. ^ The New Relevance of Oswald Spengler
  4. ^ Eagle to Earth
  5. ^ Aviation, Geography and Race, an article written by Charles Lindbergh for Reader's Digest that was printed in November 1939. Reader's Digest is a monthly general-interest family Magazine co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace.
  6. ^ Why Race Matters by Samuel Francis, American Renaissance, September 1994. For the magazine about renaissance faires see Renaissance Magazine American Renaissance (abbreviated AR or AmRen) is a monthly
  7. ^ Prospects for Racial and Cultural Survival by Samuel Francis, American Renaissance, March 1995. For the magazine about renaissance faires see Renaissance Magazine American Renaissance (abbreviated AR or AmRen) is a monthly
  8. ^ Praesidium 1.4
  9. ^ Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: economic insights and influences by Darren Cushman-Wood, Monthly Review, May 1993. Monthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published in New York City.
  10. ^ Spengleriana: The Decline of the West, and unacknowledged debts by Roger Sandall.

External links


Persondata
NAME Spengler, Oswald Arnold Gottfried
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION German historian and philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH May 29, 1880
PLACE OF BIRTH Blankenburg am Harz, Germany
DATE OF DEATH May 8, 1936
PLACE OF DEATH Munich, Germany
Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Blankenburg am Harz is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.
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