Anonymous 01/21/25(Tue)22:25:52 | 56 comments | 8 images
IMG_2143
Why are the ideas of Oswald Spengler, a historian whose ideas are considered basically Alchemy or Phrenology tier by modern serious historians, so revered on /his/?
Anonymous 01/21/25(Tue)22:30:13 No.17448927
>>17448920
because his right, if he were wrong the people obsessed with Spengler wouldnt have swept the field.
Boomer Truth Regime is out, whatever comes after the 1945 regime is now in.
Anonymous 01/21/25(Tue)22:47:41 No.17448949
>>17448920
The last great Western intellectual. If i would to guess there would be two main reasons why so called modern academia isn't fond if him.
1. His view on each culture and subsequently civilization as a organism on it's own,that comes about on it's own and its independents of others of it's kind goes against modern progresivist idea of an all-encompassing single human civilization (under umbrella term "humanity", ) going towards some end that goal no one can clearly define.

2. Second reason is pretty straightforward. He stated that West is not a continuum from Antiquity,but rather it's own thing independent of it,which is a big no-no in the lukewarm minds of today's academia that belive Greece is the cradle of western civilization.
Anonymous 01/21/25(Tue)23:13:18 No.17448985
>>17448927
The irony of saying that when Spengler was likely assassinated by the SS
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)01:30:15 No.17449132
>>17448920
First of all, there's like five people in this board who know who Spengler is, and you are one of them.
Secondly, those of us who actually like him, don't often attribute inherent value to the opinions of 'serious historians'. We found ourselves convinced or attracted by his theories through our own delvings. We didn't stop by the faculty to see what things we are allowed to believe.
>>17448985
The post 1945 paradigm disliked Spengler just as much if not more than the Nazis did.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:05:38 No.17449159
>>17448949
>West is not a continuum from Antiquity,but rather it's own thing independent of it
How does he defend this argument?
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:17:06 No.17449169
>>17448920
For the same reasons that psychologists revere Freud and Jung and economists revere Marx and Adam Smith. The humanities are more personality cults than sciences.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:17:14 No.17449170
>>17449159
Well, by comparing the two cultures and then pointing out irreconcileable differences between the two that refute the idea that the West is the Inheritor of the greeks in any substantial way.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:34:24 No.17449185
>>17449170
In a way that's like saying that monkeys couldn't possibly have been our ancestors because we lack tails.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:34:30 No.17449186
>>17449132
What makes you think that the "post-1945" order hates him? His ideas might seem too pessimistic and even fringe for our comfortable, rather optimistic current tastes, but he isn't really controversial
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)02:57:41 No.17449200
>>17449185
He doesn't mean it in a purely causal way. Obviously, A was followed by B which then begat C, and so on. But his philosophy of history transcends that; causality, interaction and superficial traits may loosely connect cultures (loaded Spenglerian term, will explain later) but they are separated in substance and exist independent of one another in this plane (IE the western culture would have arose without greek and roman one, for example). That is roughly his position.
>>17449186
You are right. I used the wrong words there. My point was that just because the Nazis disliked him it doesn't mean the post war order liked him very much, gave him the cold shoulder. This guy >>17448927 wasn't even implying that the Nazis liked Spengler, just that the current paradigm (traceable to the end of WW2 and ramifications) was dying (I disagree but whatever).
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:06:57 No.17449207
>>17448920
Because they don't know other cyclical theorists. Spengler has quite a good prose and that lifts him up a lot, while being German and right of centre gives him prestige in "alt" groups. That a lot of his takes are some hegelian mumbo jumbo just doesn't register to people. At the same time he does take a swing at the right things, in early 20th century the progressive, whig hubris was at its peak, Spengler is just the most well known person to intellectually attack it
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:07:19 No.17449208
>>17449200
>the western culture would have arose without greek and roman one
Are you sure you want to use that "the" there instead of an "a"? Because it wouldn't have been THE culture we all know, but something very different instead.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:08:46 No.17449209
>>17448985
source?
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:10:13 No.17449210
716w83zeRyL._SL1360_
>>17448920
He warned us but we didn't listen
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:10:56 No.17449211
>>17449209
Water table
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:26:04 No.17449231
>>17449200
And for the record. Spengler saw cultures as sort of biological entities with a definite lifespan of development. These cultures were defined by a specific way of understanding and seeing everything, derived from their natural environment. Spengler called this the soul. According to him, each culture's soul has one symbolic idea that underlines everything else, this is the Prime Symbol.
To Spengler, while cultures all follow roughly the same stages of development—much like how all mammals go through similar stages of life—they are wholly unique to themselves in soul and spirit.
This not to say Culture A could not affect or influence Culture B, but the two would never see eye to eye with eachother or truly penetrate into eachother.
>>17449208
Working off Spenglerian methodology and assumptions, it really wouldn't be that different. Gothic architecture would remain mostly the same, so would Western European Statecraft practices, the mathemathical and philosophical developments, too. Art would be the most affected, but of these, the peak expression of the Faustian soul: music would remain entirely unaffected. Sculpture, and to a lesser extent painting would be the most affected, arguably to the benefit of western culture. The names and appearances would change, but little else would.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:29:11 No.17449234
>>17448920
Spengler using Goethe's way of doing science shouldn't discredit him for being unscientific. Goethe literally was able to discover more colors than Newton with his unique methodology.
Either way, Marx claims to be scientific. Spengler doesn't. The latter has more accuracy in describing history and doings of the world
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:37:31 No.17449247
>>17449231
>arguably to the benefit of western culture.
How so? This is just aesthetics after all...
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:43:08 No.17449250
>>17448949
>He stated that West is not a continuum from Antiquity, but rather it's own thing independent of it, which is a big no-no in the lukewarm minds of today's academia that belive Greece is the cradle of western civilization.
It's impressive how often this point causes seething.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)03:53:28 No.17449263
>>17449247
Unburdened by previous exhausted forms, the western soul would have had more freedom to express itself as it saw fit rather than as it happened.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)04:05:45 No.17449275
JWWaterhouse-Lady-of-Shalott
>>17449247
>>17449263
One way of looking at it: Neoclassicism was basically a larp, and the Pre-Raphaelites were attempting attempting a correction.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)04:09:22 No.17449277
>>17449275
The real Larp was the entire field of Sculpture.
>>17449208
Admittedly, the middle eastern/Magian culture would be vastly different had they avoided Roman conquest. So in that case you are right.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)04:09:43 No.17449278
Goethe
>>17449234
> Goethe literally was able to discover more colors than Newton with his unique methodology.
Common Goethe W
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)04:17:39 No.17449280
>>17449277
Given that the human body *was* the prime-symbol of Apollonian Man, there's no way Faustian attempts at sculpture wasn't going to get pseudomorphosized to redundancy. Unless there had been a movement dealing with non-living subjects, I suppose.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)08:31:31 No.17449532
>>17448985
Where’s the irony? 1945 is simply the origin of the status quo we live under. No one said the pre-1945 era was friendly to Spengler. Try reading my post without seeing the ghost of /pol/ behind every word.
>>17449200
You can disagree but it is gone. there wouldn’t have been a Russian invasion, a Gazan intervention, or an American elite coup if we were still in the 1945-2025 BTR.
The current ruling power no longer cares if Churchill or Reagan are upheld as paragons.
The kind of old American liberal order is dead. Exhausted. Gone.
We are getting more into Spengler’s late stage of technology and capitalism becoming overt. The 1945-2025 was a transition period where martial strength was being sublimated to capital, how technology has sublimated capital and we see a return to more aggressive behaviors independent of the economics of such behaviors.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)08:39:22 No.17449540
>>17448920
>Some cultures think that time is cyclical
>German autists claims that it is cyclical
>"Guys, the Western culture post-Englightenment isn't the same as it was pre-Englightenment."
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)08:49:38 No.17449557
>>17449159
This "We Wuz Greeks and Shit" is a pure Anglo-Saxon idea. Western culture is more like a fusion of Germanic and Catholic(roman) culture. Sure the church saved a lot of knowledge from the antiquity, but the society was set up following Germanic culture. Most continentals never reallly doubted this. All our states originates from the period between 800 AD - 1000 AD. It was only American LARPERS who set up their nations following an imaginary vision of antiquity.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)10:30:03 No.17449757
>>17449532
Academic agent you old fart,i didn't know you post in 4chan.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)11:14:31 No.17449847
>>17449757
AA is based is thoever.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)11:35:03 No.17449888
>>17448920
Because /his/ is a schizo retard board full of closeted trannies who cope with their dysgenic nature by larping as "le Aryan strongman" aka their incredibly homoerotic fantasies
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)11:48:16 No.17449914
>>17449888
This man has not read Speingler.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)12:45:52 No.17450073
>>17449914
And I never will because it's retarded slop for retards. Only retards take any single persons writings as definitive works of """truth"""
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:13:22 No.17450726
>>17450073
He is the only person who wrote a history of history itself. He is read not because people are obsessed with him in particular but because no other author has even attempted what he has.

There is a finite amount of knowledge one can acquire in a lifetime, the chance an author with a fertile mind and high functioning cognitive capacity will maximize their knowledge and produce a history of history is rare to the point we have Spengler and only Spengler.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:30:19 No.17450766
>>17448985
What the fuck I love the SS now!?
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:31:20 No.17450769
>>17448920
Because he's a seething Chud.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:38:29 No.17450784
>>17449847
His recent output has been based, but because he attacked Keith Woods for being a Marxist he needs to redeem a plane ticket and go back to Pakistan.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:44:12 No.17450799
>>17449209
>Myjewishlearning.com
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)16:55:35 No.17450825
>>17450726
>a history of history
>a language of languages
>a physics of physics
>a categorical study of categorical studies
Do you see now how retarded that sounds?
>dudes civilizations are like... biological... and they have like... determinable life spans... bruh...
Absolutely Freud-tier retarded babbling.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)18:12:44 No.17450990
>>17450825
>uuh it sound retarded
great insight
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)18:30:11 No.17451030
>>17448920
To me his method of understanding history is much more interesting and thought provoking than the conventional causal method. The idea that everything in a culture is unilateral and interlinked is endlessly fascinating.

Like everyone else who has gotten into the Spengler revival of the last 10 years, I was attracted to him initially because of the accuracy of his predictions of the 20th century. Then I started taking him seriously as a philosopher of history. I studied him for years after that and indeed I continue to study him every day. he is my foremost intellectual influence.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:08:58 No.17451111
0641057
>>17448920
because a lot of the people in academia these days are actually Marxists, whether they know it or not.

There is literally nothing wrong with Spengler's view of history in terms of art forms and boom and bust cycles.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:09:59 No.17451117
>>17451111
based quads.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:20:24 No.17451141
Spengler Template
>>17450825
cultures do have definitions in so far as art styles have definitions and each of the high cultures which Spengler described passed through the same stages over a period of 1500 to 2000 years.

it's just basic spatial reasoning and pattern recognition.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:21:49 No.17451146
Meso
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:45:43 No.17451187
>>17450990
>grand narratives that explain nothing are le heckin based because... because they just are
Spengler does the same shit you retards chimp out over Marx doing but in reverse kek

>>17451111
>muh academic Marxists
What's your highest level of education, anon. Be honest.

>>17451141
>over a period of 1500 to 2000 years
Which is so broad it's useless as anything but mental jerkoff material.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)19:52:25 No.17451198
kek
>>17451187
>What's your highest level of education, anon. Be honest.

Tertiary - Bachelor in advanced science

>Which is so broad it's useless as anything but mental jerkoff material.

not an argument. history is not a productive area of study anyway. I just read about it because it's interesting.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:20:34 No.17451283
>>17450825
History of History is fundamentally different from "physics of physics"
History is a narrative story, it is not a study itself, physics and language fixed ideas and principles whereas History does not, History is a set of stories distinct and separate stories and examining them is completely different from merely putting them into a grand history.
You are thinking of Spengler as someone who just wrote a lot of things down about historical events.
Whereas how you should think is Spengler is comparing and contrasting, identifying and "mapping out" history itself which means mapping out say Europe and MesoAmerica not placing them in a succession but like literally mapping them out as in placing them into distinct and separate realms, not as a sort of flow of time but as historical "places".
Greeks in the 380s are "more advanced" than modern Americans in 2025 because the timeline is irrelevant, they exist in specific places independent of each other and the Greek timeline in 380 was "further on" than the American timeline in 2025.

But no one else has looked at this way, they will say "Greece exists in the past and America the present, and we Americans draw our fundamentals from Greece, its obvious we built on their works like they built the works of previous people like building a building."

But this isnt true, Americans and Greeks couldnt be more different, couldnt more alien, and exactly zero contact between the two has ever occurred, there is no transmission across time. They are totally distinct.
While individuals can be influenced a nation-spirit itself can not be.

This is the difference between "History of History" and "physics of physics".
Spengler maps out History while all other historians merely constructed a chronological order to which the reader of history stumbles from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to Berlin and Boston.
Spengler's map can be used to navigate history in an entirely different way.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:42:53 No.17451335
>>17451111
>>17451187
The quads have spoken
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:45:34 No.17451345
>>17448920
Because /his/ loves the romanticism of decline and nostalgia for lost civilizations. Spengler taps into that doompill vibes... history ain't a straight line, but a cycle of rise and fall. It's comforting to think everything is doomed. It’s like a twisted comfort blanket for the disillusioned.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:47:26 No.17451351
>>17451345
how's your transition going?
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:51:11 No.17451366
>>17451351
very well, thank you. I cut my penis off yesterday morning.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)20:55:19 No.17451384
>>17451345
There is nothing romantic about this shit,i tried to kill myself after i first read it,but thankfully my girlfriend's husband told me it's all bunch of doompill nonsense so i gave up last moment.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)21:44:42 No.17451507
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)21:45:42 No.17451512
>>17451283
>History of History is fundamentally different from "physics of physics"
Thanks for confirming what an NPC you are kek
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)22:12:00 No.17451575
A lot of nazis and Fascists champion his work even though there's a letter he wrote where he decided Nazism for its racial autism against Jews and predicted it wouldn't last more than 12 years. Hence why he turned down numerous offer attempts from Goebbels.

Spengler wanted to go back to pre ww1 Europe. He hated how commies and Fascists were all about violence and revolution. And he saw through the guise of the ideologies as nothing more than schemes from snake oil salesmen that just wanted to run a nationwide racket. Surprised how Yockey missed this.
Anonymous 01/22/25(Wed)22:25:36 No.17451588
>>17449278
So what would happen if we gave Goethe amphetamines?