The Ominous Parallels - Tranche II
Chapter One, Excerpt 2 of 2
The Cause of Nazism
Religious writers often claim that the cause of Nazism is secularism or the scientific spirit of the modern world. This evades the facts that the Germans, especially in Prussia, were one of the most religious in Western Europe; that the Weimar Republic was a hotbed of mystic cults, of which Nazism was one. The Lutherans counted themselves among Hitler’s staunchest followers. This evades the fact that arbitrary constructs can be manipulated to “explain” anything, and therefore, nothing.
Criminal groups and schemes have existed throughout history. They have been able to succeed only in certain periods. Something made so many Germans vulnerable to a takeover. Something armed the criminals and disarmed the country. By the 20th century . . . the doctrines of the rights of man and the autonomy of the individual . . . were paramount no longer. Germany was ideologically ripe for Hitler; the intellectual groundwork had been prepared.
Philosophy is the study of the nature of existence, of knowledge, and of values. Metaphysics studies the nature of the universe as a whole. The branch that studies knowledge is epistemology. Ethics defines a code of values to guide human action. The branch that applies ethics to social questions is politics. Men cannot act without some kind of basic guidance; philosophy will affect every man. The death camps were conceived, built, and administered by PhDs. Where did such ideas come from?
The Cause of Nazism
Religious writers often claim that the cause of Nazism is secularism or the scientific spirit of the modern world. This evades the facts that the Germans, especially in Prussia, were one of the most religious in Western Europe; that the Weimar Republic was a hotbed of mystic cults, of which Nazism was one. The Lutherans counted themselves among Hitler’s staunchest followers. This evades the fact that arbitrary constructs can be manipulated to “explain” anything, and therefore, nothing.
Criminal groups and schemes have existed throughout history. They have been able to succeed only in certain periods. Something made so many Germans vulnerable to a takeover. Something armed the criminals and disarmed the country. By the 20th century . . . the doctrines of the rights of man and the autonomy of the individual . . . were paramount no longer. Germany was ideologically ripe for Hitler; the intellectual groundwork had been prepared.
Philosophy is the study of the nature of existence, of knowledge, and of values. Metaphysics studies the nature of the universe as a whole. The branch that studies knowledge is epistemology. Ethics defines a code of values to guide human action. The branch that applies ethics to social questions is politics. Men cannot act without some kind of basic guidance; philosophy will affect every man. The death camps were conceived, built, and administered by PhDs. Where did such ideas come from?
Very true! Unfortunately very few will understand how, why, or even what philosophy it is, that affects them.