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Fritz Stern

Fritz Richard Stern

The Politics of Cultural Despair: A Study in the Rise of the Germanic Ideology (California Library Reprint Series) First Edition

by Fritz R. R. Stern (Author)

4.3 55 ratings

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This is a study in the pathology of cultural criticism. By analyzing the thought and influence of three leading critics of modern Germany, this study will demonstrate the dangers and dilemmas of a particular type of cultural despair. Lagarde, Langbehn, and Moeller van den Bruck-their active lives spanning the years from the middle of the past century to the threshold of Hitler's Third Reich-attacked, often incisively and justly, the deficiencies of German culture and the German spirit. But they were more than the critics of Germany's cultural crisis; they were its symptoms and victims as well. Unable to endure the ills which they diagnosed and which they had experienced in their own lives, they sought to become prophets who would point the way to a national rebirth. Hence, they propounded all manner of reforms, ruthless and idealistic, nationalistic and utopian. It was this leap from despair to utopia across all existing reality that gave their thought its fantastic quality.

ISBN-10

0520026268
ISBN-13

978-0520026261
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

University of California Press
Publication date

October 7, 1974
Language

English
Dimensions

5.51 x 1 x 8.03 inches
Print length

400 pages
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Editorial Reviews

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"A most valuable contribution to the study of modern totalitarianism. . . . The book is indispensable for every student of the atmosphere before Hitler's advent to power."--The Annuals "An enlightening and solidly documented book of great value to those who would like to trace the ideological roots behind the most erratic and dramatic political phases of modern Germany."--American Political Science Review "It is a special merit of Stern's treatment that he combines his examination of the German case of 'Conservative Revolution' with a recognition that the phenomenon is world wide. . . . Stern's book is a delight to read. His erudition is never allowed to smother a brilliant style, and nearly every paragraph is marked by arresting epigrams."--American Historical Review

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (October 7, 1974)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520026268
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520026261
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 1 x 8.03 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #910,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #728 in General Elections & Political Process
- #1,465 in European Politics Books
- #2,354 in German History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 55 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

55 global ratings

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wngoju

Short review: Great!

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2008

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The reviewer ("prenziberg") who complains of "venom dripping from nearly every sentence" has a non-rare ability to extract surprising things from mild-mannered text. In my opinion, what drips from nearly every sentence is clarity. (I know, clarity does not drip. He (she?) started it...)

This is, again IMO, one of the great books of historical reportage and interpretation. Stern wrote the book in the 60's; he could have had no inkling of current goings-on in Muslim land, the relevancy of the book to which other reviewers have commented approvingly on.

I underlined almost every sentence. I have not done that since my mid-twenties. Either, at 65, I'm loosing it, or the book is pretty good. Both are likely.

bill

25 people found this helpful

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Lions Brood

The roots of National Socialism in cultural criticism

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2019

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Written originally in 1961 as part of venerable scholar Fritz Stern's doctoral thesis The Politics of Cultural Despair is a classic study of the cultural criticism and irrational ideologies of three 19th and early 20th century German writers that helped pave the way for the rise of the Third Reich and the triumph of national socialism. The book traces the lives and works of the obscure German writers and scholars Lagarde, Langbehn, and Moeller to illuminate how ideas conducive to national socialism, including antisemitism, extreme German nationalism (volk movement), anti-liberalism, anti-intellectualism, the desire for an authoritarian Caesar or "Fuhrer", and the primacy of "the will", became pervasive in 19th and early 20th century Germany.

All three authors relentlessly attacked liberal democracy, the enlightenment tradition, and the modern industrial society that had separated the German people from their "spiritual" and "pure" connection with the Germany's ancestral forests and countryside. They were, as Stern puts it, "Conservatives with nothing left to conserve". They viewed Germany's unification and the advancement of liberal democracy and modernity as a disastrous development that divided Germany's people and drained them of their spiritual essence. Their criticism also took on extreme antisemitism that egregiously blamed the Jewish people and portrayed them as conspiratorial outsiders who promoted capitalism and diluted Germany's ethnic purity. They also felt that traditional sources of authority, such as religion and the Bismarck nation state, were entirely inadequate and stale in the age of Nietzsche. Seeing Germany in crisis, and with no traditional political or cultural forces to turn to, all three authors became their own prophets of change. They expounded vague and irrational theories that found salvation in nationalists myths and desired a return to a illusory past where the German people lived in unified harmony and prosperity in their ancestral lands. The authors took on the delusional path from cultural critics to Nihilistic prophets. Starting from somewhat credible attacks on Germany's political and cultural shortcomings and transforming them into irrational and delusional political programs with little grasp on reality and dangerous support for authoritarian policies. Tragically, their works enjoyed a consistent level of support among Germany's population and influenced many philosophers and political theorists, such as Alfred Rosenberg, that would formulate the National Socialist ideology. While none of the three were Nazis, all of them clearly proliferated ideas central to the National Socialist program and advocated for a dangerous and authoritarian cultural regeneration.

Stern's work is classic in the sense that it represents the mid 20th century political and historical scholarly work that focuses on the impact of political ideologies and political ideas. While this focus on "ideas" is far less emphasized today in modern political science scholarship, the book reminds us that the rise of National Socialism and Fascism was far more than a reaction to Germany's disastrous defeat in World War I and the impact of the Versailles Treaty. Instead, the ideas of national socialism were deeply embedded in German society and represented a dangerous undercurrent acting against the forces of democratic liberalism, industrialization, and the enlightenment. In advocating a "politics of cultural despair" all three turned towards delusional, dangerous, and authoritarian solutions that could have only supported a political program as appalling and devastating as national socialism. As Stern reminds us, "the politics of cultural despair" can come from any region of the political spectrum where the most unwavering cultural critics can become "nihilistic" prophets who desire not just cultural change, but cultural and political regeneration based on a mythic and nonexistent past or promise a millenarian utopia . A statement that applies not only to Germany's lost 19th and 20th century conservatives, but to idealistic leftist terrorist groups in the 60s and 70s, and Islamic and right wing terrorist groups today. In summary, Stern reminds us not only that Fascism and National Socialism had deep roots in 19th and 20th century Germany, but also of the dangers of irrational and delusional political programs that depart from reality.

However, like any good skeptic, one has to wonder how important the cultural and political critiques and ideas of Stern's three authors really were. Modern political science has mostly moved beyond the focus on political ideas found in Stern's work and without concrete quantitative data, it is close to impossible to determine the impact of their work. The book also suffers from a narrow focus that makes it less approachable for the casual reader. Unlike other introductory works on Fascism and National Socialism, Stern writes for an expert audience that is expected to be well versed in 19th and 20th century German political, philosophical, and intellectual history. Readers less versed in these subjects may find the book less enjoyable and insightful. Although this work has probably been superseded by more modern works, it remains a classic in the field of intellectual and political history and represents classic political and cultural history at its best. I also recommend George Mosse's 1964 work "The Crisis of the German Ideology" that covers very similar ground, as well as Zeev Sternhell's "The Birth of Fascist Ideology" on the intellectual origins of Italian Fascism.

25 people found this helpful

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Bruce Piscitello

Fascinating study of a few nineteenth century German cultural figures who were ideological precursors to Nazism

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2013

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I read this book because of my deep interest in the origins of Nazism and for a specifc reason. A question I ask myself regularly is this: Are there cutural currents alive in the contemporary U.S. that rhyme with the historical fascist agenda?

My answer to that question is an unequivocal "Yes."

The contradictory ideas of a "conservative" revolution proferred by the nineteenth century German cultural figures profiled in the book are identical to ideas professed today by so-called American "conservatives."

This is a dense but illuminating text from which a close reading ultimately pays off.

18 people found this helpful

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richard curley

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018

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awesome

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A Good Read (between the lines)

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2002

If you can subtract out the venom dripping from nearly every sentence, you'll get an insight into a few of the forces that shaped the Nazi tide. If Stern hadn't been so ridiculously hateful towards these long-dead "proto-Nazis" it would have been an excellent read.
But any serious student of the NS time will have to balance this and many other works describing many other lead-up/ins to the '30s. The Nazis and their influences are a study in quantum schizophrenia, with ol' Uncle Adolf (sorta) riding herd. And of course the only thing weirder than the Nazis and all their braided streams of influence is the tangled, overgrown paths back to them through the historical literature.

14 people found this helpful

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Dr. J. Scott

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2015

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Great book to help analyze where Hitler got much of his inspiration towards Nationalism and Nazism

2 people found this helpful

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Mike Scron-Lee

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2014

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Everything was great!

3 people found this helpful

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ap Iorwerth

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2016

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excellent

recluse

宗教の没落が引き起こした価値の真空

Reviewed in Japan on December 27, 2007

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ゲルマニック・イデオロギーの勃興というタイトルの作品ですが、どこまでこのイデオロギーの源流にたどり着くことができたかどうかについては疑問の残る作品です。出版された時代背景（１９６０年）がその一因なのかもしれません。生々しい記憶が残るナチズムの具体性の弾劾から離れて、その受容の背後にあったゲルマニックイデオロギーを、西欧から離れたドイツの１９世紀からの歴史にたどることによって、ドイツの特殊性を永遠に加害者の立場に押し込めるという無意識の政治的な動機が存在したのかもしれません。たしかに、ゲルマニック・イデオロギーの勃興の１９世紀における時代的な背景は見事に整理されています。１８世紀啓蒙主義とその具現としてのフランス革命そして近代への反発というドイツの文化的な絶望が背景として力説されます。また１９世紀における宗教の後退が生み出した価値の真空状態の中での、リベラリズムと物質主義のへの反発という共通項が繰り返し指摘されます。そしてそこからの解放としての第一次大戦。でもこれは余りにも常識と化してしまった議論です。取り上げられた三人も詳しく紹介されるにも関わらず、強引な批判がなされている部分も一部には見受けられます。たしかにおもしろい論点（議論構築のドイツ的な癖）や分析（民族ボルシェビズム）はいくつかあります。私自身はむしろこのイデオロギーの源流に厳として存在するであろう、ドイツをドイツとしてならしめている核へのより歴史的な接近を期待したのですが、この部分は、herderへの言及はありますが、ステレオタイプの指摘以上のもはありません。

6 people found this helpful

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