Final Exam

1. “When one speaks of humanity, the idea is fundamental that this is something which separates and distinguishes man from nature. In reality, however, there is no such separation: “natural” qualities and those called truly “human” are inseparably grown together. Man, in his highest and noblest capacities, is wholly nature and embodies its uncanny dual character. Those of his abilities which are terrifying and considered inhuman may even be the fertile soil out of which alone all humanity can grow in impulse, deed, and work.”

       Answer: B) Friedrich Nietzsche

2. Which factors contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic?

        Answer: D) All of the above.

3. What event provided the justification for Hitler to declare a state of emergency?

       Answer: B) The Reichstag fire

4. “Whoever wants to engage in politics at all, and especially in politics as a vocation, has to realize these ethical paradoxes. He must know that he is responsible for what he may become of himself under the impact of these paradoxes. I repeat, he lets himself in for the diabolic forces lurking in all violence.” 

        Answer: C) Max Weber

5. What is the significance of the name Spartacus?

        Answer: C) The leader of a slave revolt against the Romans 

6. What event constituted the “Great Betrayal” in the eyes of social democrats like Rosa Luxemburg?

       Answer: A) The voting of war credits by the Social Democratic Party in 1914

7. “This examination would not be complete, however, if it did not touch upon a third and colder order that bestows its unique character on our time of change. The growing objectification of our life appears most distinctly in technology, this great mirror, which is sealed off in a unique way from the grip of pain. Technology is our uniform. Yet we are too deeply immersed in this process to comprehend it to its full extent.”

        Answer: C) Ernst  Junger

8. “Business thrives in the ruins. Cities become piles of ruins; villages become cemeteries; countries, deserts; populations are beggared; churches, horse stalls. International law, treaties and alliances, the most sacred words and the highest authority have been torn in shreds. Every sovereign “by the grace of God” is called a rogue and lying scoundrel by his cousin on the other side. Every diplomat is a cunning rascal to his colleagues in the other party. Every government sees every other as dooming its own people and worthy only of universal contempt. There are food riots in Venice, in Lisbon, Moscow, Singapore. There is plague in Russia, and misery and despair everywhere.”

      Answer: B) Rosa Luxemburg

9. What is the name of the professor in The Blue Angel?

      Answer: A) Rath

10. What is the “twist ending” at the end of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?

       Answer: B) Francis is a patient at a mental institution

11. “This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what had been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them.”

       Answer: A) Walter Benjamin

12. "Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence"

       Answer: A) Walter Benjamin

13. Which period of time was relatively stable during the Weimar era?

       Answer: B.) 1924-1929

14. “He had started to suspect that his venerable father and his other teachers, that the wise Brahmans had already revealed to him the most and best of their wisdom, that they had already filled his expecting vessel with their richness, and the vessel was not full, the spirit was not content, the soul was not calm, the heart was not satisfied. The ablutions were good, but they were water, they did not wash off the sin, they did not heal the spirit's thirst, they did not relieve the fear in his heart. The sacrifices and the invocation of the gods were excellent—but was that all?”

      Answer: A) Herman Hesse

15. After the Spartacus Uprising failed many of the former members formed which political party?

       Answer: D) KPD

16. What day and year did World War I end?

        Answer: C) November 11th, 1918

17. In which book does Nietzsche discuss the change in values between the Romans and the Christians?

        Answer: D) On the Genealogy of Morality

18. What does “dada” mean?

        Answer: C) A nonsense word with no meaning

19. “In war, when shells fly past our bodies at high speeds, we sense clearly that no level of intelligence, virtue, or fortitude is strong enough to deflect them, not even by a hair. To the extent this threat increases, doubt concerning the validity of our values forces itself upon us. The mind tends toward a catastrophic interpretation of things wherever it sees everything called into question.”

        Answer: D) Ernst Junger

20.  What is Fridolin’s occupation in Dream Story?

        Answer: B) Doctor

21. Where did Max Weber deliver his address “Politics as a Vocation?

         Answer: B) Munich

22.  What was one of the immediate goals of the Spartacus group?

         Answer: C) To increase the power of soldier's and worker's councils over military bases and factories.

23. “The honor of the civil servant is vested in his ability to execute conscientiously the order of the superior authorities, exactly as if the order agreed with his own conviction. This holds even if the order appears wrong to him and if, despite the civil servant’s remonstrances, the authority insists on the order. Without this moral discipline and self-denial, in the highest sense, the whole apparatus would fall to pieces. The honor of the political leader, of the leading statesman, however, lies precisely in an exclusive personal responsibility for what he does, a responsibility he cannot and must not reject or transfer. It is in the nature of officials of high moral standing to be poor politicians, and above all, in the political sense of the word, to be irresponsible politicians.”

     Answer: A) Max Weber

24. Which of the following large manufacturers were known to have used slave labor from Nazi concentration camps?

      Answer: D) All of the above

25. What did BMW originally manufacture when it was first created?

       Answer: C) air planes

26. “There is no document of civilization which is not at the same time a document of barbarism. And just as such a document is not free of barbarism, barbarism taints also the manner in which it was transmitted from one to another. A historical materialist therefore dissociates himself from it as far as possible. He regards it as his task to brush history against the grain.”

       Answer: D) Walter Benjamin

Quiz #2

1. Which critical event happened in January 1919 in Germany? 

        A). Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are murdered in Berlin

2. What article in the Weimar Constitution gave the legal pretext to suspend liberty?
        A) Article 48
 
3 . Which political party was the most dominant after the German revolution in 1918-1919?
        C). Social Democratic Party (SPD)

4. What does Völk mean?
        C) people

5. What are the three forms of domination (authority) that Weber speaks of and describe what they are?

    1. Traditional domination:  rule by patriarchs and through feudalism. 

    2. Rational-legal domination: rule by the bureaucracy or legal figures.

    3. Charismatic domination: rule by familial figures or religious figures.

6.Weber defines the state as...
       D) an organization that monopolizes the use of force in a territory
 
7. What year did Hitler assume power in Germany?
       C).1933

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

Assignment: Compare Benjamin and Jünger's views on photography. Why does Jünger refer to the camera as the "evil eye". How does Benjamin's views compare?

     Both Benjamin and Junger's views on photography are very similar. Both men view photography as something that captures the moment and is something that last's forever. They both show that with a photograph one is able to see more than they would with just the mere sight of something. It provides a memory and perhaps it allows us to see something that we may have missed the first time. 
      
     When Junger refers to the camera as the "evil eye" he is stating that the camera only captures the bad, evil things. At the time that Junger wrote this was around war time, where majority of the photographs taken were of the destruction of families, homes and they showed the public what was really going on during war time. It showed people what was really happening perhaps to expose the government and what not, but it was not for the good.
   

Politics as a Vocation

Assignment:

Please choose a passage from “Politics as a Vocation”, write out the passage, and give the meaning of the quote as well as you chose the quote. How does Weber's writings on technical leadership, rationalization, and bureaucracy anticipate Jünger's later writings on technology?

"How does the selection of these strong leaders take place? First, in terms of what ability are they selected? Next to the qualities of will-- decisive all over the world--naturally the force of demagogic speech is above all decisive. Its character has changed since the time speakers like Cobden addressed themselves to the intellect, and Gladstone who mastered the technique of apparently 'letting sober facts speak for themselves.' At the present time often purely emotional means are used--the means the Salvation Army also exploits in order to set the masses in motion. One may call the existing state of affairs a 'dictatorship resting on the exploitation of mass emotionality.' Yet, the highly developed system of committee work in the English Parliament makes it possible and compelling for every politician who counts on a share in leadership to cooperate in committee work. All important ministers of recent decades have this very real and effective work-training as a background. The practice of committee reports and public criticism of these deliberations is a condition for training, for really selecting leaders and eliminating mere demagogues."

Interpretation: The choice of who would be a strong leader was purely decisive on the speech that the person would deliver. The words that were spoken, showed the true intellect of the man who was speaking them. More recently to our times, leaders are chosen based on emotional means. It is compelling for every politician who is going to to be a "strong leader" to have to cooperate in committee work. It helps in successfully choosing leaders who will benefit and be strong as compared to those who use emotion to win votes.

Explanation: I chose this quote because it explains how back then the leaders were chosen by a more accurate way, based on pure intelligence and factual information as opposed to today, where everyone tries to use emotion to persuade people. As I read this I began to realize how true it is.

         Weber's writing on technical leadership, rationalization, and bureaucracy anticipate Junger's later writings on technology because Weber explains how powerful  a country can be and when they are powerful they anticipate more power, whether its on who is in office or who is in charge of the advancing of technology. During war time, technology always rises and new machinery is made and produced for purposes of power and taking control.

Nazism

Quote: 

"By 1938 however, Germany is making moves to occupy territories. Hitler (born in Austria) occupies Austria without a fight. The country becomes part of Germany. Next Hitler tries to occupy the German speaking areas of Czechoslovakia. The British and French governments allow him to do this believing this will satisfy the Hitler’s ambition. A few months later in early 1939, Hitler invades and occupies the rest of Czechoslovakia absorbing its factories, its resources, and its workforce into the German military machine. In August 1939 the Germans and the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin sign a “Non-Aggression Pact” promising not to attack each other. This signals to the world the inevitability of war. On September 1^st, 1939 the Germans invade Poland. A few days after Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. Poland is conquered in less than a month and becomes the site of some of the worst atrocities of the Nazi regime. Hitler and Stalin divide Poland before Hitler turns his sights west; the Second World War is underway."

Interpretation: 

Even though Hitler was born in Austria, as the leader of Germany, he wanted to seize control over Austria as it would make him  more powerful. Hitler then seizes parts of Czechoslovakia, expanding his power once again. Britain and France's government let Hitler do it because they had hoped that Hitler would be satisfied, but he wasn't. He became greedy and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia and all of its resources and workforce. Hitler and Stalin agree that they will not attack each other so they sign a "Non-Aggression Pact". Hitler wanted to further expand so this time he went after Poland, but at that time Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. Hitler and Stalin split Poland. 

Explanation for Quote: 
I chose this quote because it shows how truly greedy Hitler was. He kept trying to expand his territory; it was never enough for him. Stalin felt that by becoming allies with him, that Hitler would never try to take over Soviet Russia. He wanted to share the power that Hitler held. Hitler on the other hand became so greedy that France and Great Britain had declared war on Germany. I feel that by Great Britain and France allowing Hitler to seize Czechoslovakia, they initially "added fuel to the fire" and provoked Hitler's ambition. Had they not allowed him to do so, perhaps it would have stopped the problem at an early stage.

Weimar Constitution

Section 1 

Article 27
"In between sessions or election periods the outgoing president and vice-president continue to proceed business."

      This is saying that during the process of a new president and vice-president coming into office, the current president and vice-president will remain dealing with the issues at hand. They will still be responsible for handling whatever business that needs to be taken care of
        I chose this section because it shows that at all times, someone with power will be in control. No business or issues will get left unsupervised or ignored or not taken care of. There will always be someone in charge and in control of whatever they may face.

Section 2

Article 109
          "All Germans are equal in front of the law. In principle, men and women have the same rights and obligations. Legal privileges or disadvantages based on birth or social standing are to be abolished. Noble titles form part of the name only; noble titles may not be granted any more. Titles may only be granted, if they indicate an office or occupation; academic degrees are not affected by this regulation.The state may no more bestow orders and medals. No German may accept titles or orders from a foreign government."

     This means that in regard to the law everyone is equal and their equality is protected by the law. Men and women are equipped with the same rights. Social standings have no effect on a persons privileges under the law and titles are only granted to those in an office or an occupation, or an academic degree. There is no more form of order, allowed.

     I chose this article because I feel it is the most important one with regards to the people. Since there is no more social order and basically every form of discrimination is abolished, there will be less feuds amongst themselves and they can build up and focus on being a stronger nation to fight off their enemies. When it comes to a persons life, nobody is worth more than the other based on a name or title, which is how it should be.

The Junius Pamphlet

"In capitalist history, invasion and class struggle are not opposites, as the official legend would have us believe, but one is the means and the expression of the other. Just as invasion is the true and tried weapon in the hands of capital against the class struggle, so on the other hand the fearless pursuit of the class struggle has always proven the most effective preventive of foreign invasions. On the brink of modern times are the examples of the Italian cities, Florence and Milan, with their century of bitter struggle against the Hohenstaufen. The stormy history of these cities, torn by inner conflicts, proves that the force and the fury of inner class struggles not only does not weaken the defensive powers of the community, but that, on the contrary, from their fires shoot the only flames that are strong enough to withstand every attack from a foreign foe." (luxemburg Chapter 7)

      What this means is that although people may think that invasion and class struggle are opposites they are not. They actually go hand-in-hand with each other. The battle over class struggle in a community actually strengthens that community against foreign enemies, such that, they build up an alliance towards their enemies. Inner conflicts may tear that community apart, but in the end they will suffice in order to protect their community as a whole. The regard as to power and wealth will seize in order to protect their land.

     I chose this passage because it had intrigued me. Usually in a capitalist community the weak and poor are the ones who are always taken advantage of and undermined, but this passage states that even though they may have feuds, it is those feuds that internally strengthen both parties so that they can rise up and defend against foreign foes. The struggle of class will prevail and prevent invasion just as invasion seems to be the power of the capital against the class struggle.

Midterm

#2) Discuss the relationship between nihilism and changing attitudes on sexuality. In what ways did traditional values place prohibitions on sexuality? Why did these prohibitions lose their power after the first World War? Using The Blue Angel and Dream Story as a reference discuss the new attitudes towards sexuality that developed during the 1920s and early 1930s
      

       The relationship between nihilism and changing attitudes on sexuality was a direct relationship. People stopped caring about their morals and decided to do what would gratify them. If it meant having sex outside of their relationships or for their own self pleasure, then they would do so. 

     It came to a point where people stepped aside from the "norm" and from what they had valued, and decided to just do things that would satisfy themselves. Prohibitions lost power after the first World War because back in the 1920's and 1930, sex was considered something to be shared between two people who had taken hand in marriage, but after the war, people decided to change things. They seen that things were changing and they had to do something that would benefit themselves.

     In the film "Blue Angel" the attitudes towards sexuality increased tremendously. At first, it was a crime for the students in Professor Rath's class to have been passing around pictures of the lovely Lola Lola, and the students had got into trouble. But once Rath had met her he fell in love and Lola Lola, didn't see it that way. She had been with Professor Rath, but she then moved on to the next guy, which showed everyone that what we call "cheating" nowadays was alright. It was for Lola's gratification that she had been interested in someone else even though she was still with Rath, because it seemed like it was an okay thing to do. 

     In Dream Story, Dr. Fridolin and Albertina were in a relationship, yet they were having fantasies about being with other people. Fridolin was the only one who would act on his desires, but they had both had an attraction to other partners. The whole novel consists of sex and an orgy involving all types of people. The outlook that this story gives on people regarding sexuality and the attitudes towards it was "go ahead". It encouraged people to have sex and to be sexual, because in a world without any values, pleasure is one of the few things that people will strive for.

3) Explain the various stages of development that Siddhartha goes through. How effective is Siddhartha's philosophy of detachment as a response to nihilism?

     In the beginning of the story, Siddhartha is introduced as the son of a Brahmin and automatically has all types of intellect on the way in which he should live his life and the destinies in which he is to fulfill. He grows tired of the same old thing and feels that he needs more in his life and that he should set out on a quest to find more meaning to his life.  He goes through many transitions trying to find a spiritual (as a samana)  or sensual (samsara world) connection to the world and is discouraged when he can not do so.

     He then decides to live with Vasudeva, a ferryman, and there he discovers Nirvana, where everything can co-exist. He is shocked by this discovery as he is becoming more nihilistic as he rejects almost all of his moral values that have any effect on how he views life.

     Once he becomes an old man he returns to the river to find that just like the river is constantly flowing and always in motion, so is life. Life is always continuous and always moving. Based on this Siddhartha finally finds peace. There is no concept of time, there is no past, present or future, it will always be everywhere at the same time. It relates to Siddhartha's own life. There was no past, because the past is still occurring. He is who he was when he was young and middle aged, and old because there is no end and he had to experience all that he did to learn this.

On Pain

Assignment: Please choose a passage from the essay on one of the following themes: pain, technology, photography, detachment, sexuality

Write out the passage. Interpret the passage and explain how it relates to one of the other works we have looked at. Explain why you chose this passage.

 

 

Passage: 

       In such a situation, pain remains the only measure promising a certainty of insights. Wherever values can no longer hold their ground, the movement toward pain endures as an astonishing sign of  the times; it betrays the negative mark of a metaphysical structure. (p. 47)

 

 Theme: Pain

 

Interpretation: 

      Once someone feels pain, everything becomes more vivid and one can see things in many different ways, trying to understand it all. Once we no longer can see the good or "valuable" part of a certain person or situation, we automatically feel pain and move towards the pain as it has some type of comfort knowing that we can confide in it.

      I feel that this passage relates to the "Blue Angels" because Rath was in love with Lola Lola and once he started to see how she was changing he right away felt pain and turned to pain. He used to pain as an insight to see how she was "flirty" with every man, because it was part of her job and this pain had enraged him. 

I chose this passage because it justifies how once someone feels pain, their vision becomes more clear as to how they view things in the future and the way that their perceptions are now skewed because of feeling pain.

 

Dream Story

Assignment:

Please choose a quote from Dream Story write out the quote. Then interpret the quote and explain why you chose this passage.

I would suggest watching the film "Eyes Wide Shut" which is a film version of this novel and the final film by director Stanley Kubrick. The film is almost an exact recreation of the novel, and aside from different locations and different names, the film follows the book almost exactly.

Quote: "Innocent yet ominous questions and vague ambiguous answers passed to and fro between them; and, as neither of them doubted the other's absolute candour, both felt the need for mild revenge. They exaggerated the extent to which their masked partners had attracted them, made fun of the jealous stirrings the other revealed, and lied dismissively about their own."

      Both of them had felt some type of revenge to seek on each other. So, in order to seek revenge on each other they tried to make each other jealous by exaggerating what they had endured that night and speak highly of the ones who had caught their attention. They would shoot each other down and call each others bluff when they knew that one was lying or trying to hard to make the other jealous. They both completely lied but it was for the sake of making the other jealous.

      I chose this passage because too often in time, revenge is what makes us feel better as humans. We are all hurt in one way or another and the idea that we can seek revenge on someone else to make them feel pain is  a thrill to us. We intentionally want to hurt those who hurt us and it gives us gratification when we are successful at doing so.

Expressionism

Assignment: Using the two films identify three major themes that you can find through both films. Explain how the films develop these themes and what do they mean. How do these themes relate to the theme of nihilism we have been discussing? Examples of themes could be ‘love’ or ‘madness’. So for example you would explain what are the themes of love you find in both films how do they relate, how are these themes developed and how does it relate to nihilism?

       
        Three themes that I found to be similar in both films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Blue Angel, were: love, madness, and power. 
        The first theme love, is strongly portrayed in both films. It is noticed in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari when Francis and Alan who are friends, both have a secret love for Jane. Alan ends up dieing and Francis and Jane are together. Cesare is demanded to "kill" Jane, but he ends up falling in love with her also. In Blue Angel love is portrayed throughout the entire film. It is first noticed when Dr. Rath goes to catch his students at the club where Lola Lola performs and he lays eyes on this beautiful woman. He ends up spending the night with her and even resigning from teaching at the University. The theme of Love in both films can relate by having an important character fall in love and make sacrifices to be with that loved one.
        The second theme, madness, is portrayed in "The Cabinet of Caligari" where Dr. Caligari who is the somnambulist, hypnotizes Cesare and convinces him to murder people. He is actually committing the murders but through a "dummy". Although this was all a "fla shback" he was still the director of and Insane Asylum, looking for his next patients. In "Blue Angel", Rath is consumed by jealousy as he sees Lola to be a "sex appeal" and when he sees how many guys are actually interested in her. He becomes enraged when he sees her kiss another man and attempts to strangle her, but instead is beaten down. The theme of madness relates in both films as both of the main characters are insane. They start off as an "alright" individual but towards the end that normality digresses and it becomes pure insanity.
        The third theme, power, is portrayed in "The Cabinet of Caligari" where Dr. Caligari had the power of Cesare and could convince Cesare to commit the murders. As for the "reality" of the whole film, Dr. Caligari was also the head of the Insane Asylum, ultimately giving him power over all of his patients. In "Blue Angel" power is portrayed by a female this time. Lola has the power over Immanuel Rath, as he resigns from his teaching job just so that he could be with her and he spends all of his savings to pay the bills. Lola ultimately had power over professor Rath subconsciously as he knew he wanted to be with her and he would do whatever it would take. The theme of power in both films can be related by the fact that the person with the power in a way "manipulated" the other into getting what they want. Whether intentional, as in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, or unintentional as we have seen in Blue Angel.
          All of these themes are related to Nihilism because they show the destruction of an individual. What one once had was now gone. The feeling of despondency, where all hope is lost. Francis felt that way when he realized his best friend was murdered, and Immanuel Rath felt that way when he seen the love of his life kiss another man. The pure state of giving up the norms of society and not obeying rules anymore tends to take over.

 

Quiz #1

1. What is nihilism? Is it correct to say it is the belief in nothing?
    Nihilism is the rejection or disbelief in the existence of anything pertaining to an objective meaning.  It is not necessarily correct to say the belief in nothing. It is only seen as a belief in nothing when it pertains to intrinsic value applied to life. Nihilists reject morals that are repressive in hope of living a full and healthy life.

2. What are the differences between Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian values according to Nietzsche? Which values does he believe are better for living a full and healthy life and why?

    Nietzsche believed that Judeo-Christain values were very nihilistic. They had extreme moral standards and the fact that Christianity forced itself to be seen as the man interpretation of God, it does not allow one to be skeptic and in a sense you are forced to disreguard all meaning except what is being taught. Nietzsche believed that the Greco-Roman values were better for living a full and healthy life because they did not have the strict values on life that the Christians had. They had more of a freedom when it came to actual intrinsic value.

3. Why is Dada art so pessimistic and bizzare? What groups in Germany society where Dada artists trying to discredit and undermine?
    Dada art is so pessimistic and bizzare because it was created to mock the German society. The artists that had created Dada had viewed the german society to be corrupt and oppressive and felt that it needed to be destroyed. The groups in which Dada artists were trying to discredit and undermine were the authoritative groups. The groups that were in charge of the society and who were responsible for the way that the society was being ruled.

4. How many jobs does Dr. Caligari have in the film?

    In the film Dr. Caligari has two jobs. He is a somnambulist (sleep walker) and in the "dream" is the doctor/surgeon.

5. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?

     Siddhartha leaves his father because he is searching for meaning. He had been raised with the teachings of his father and the Brahmans but he was not satisfied. He had seen the traditions and rituals of his culture to no longer provide any meaning. He felt as though his soul needed more, and that it was empty. He had expected that there was more to life than he had learned thus far and he wanted to go on his own to explore it.

6. How does Cesare "die" in the film?
    In the film, Cesare dies when he is running away from Francis and he catches a heart attack.

7. Why is the river so important to Siddhartha at the end of the novel?
     The river at the end of the novel is important to Siddhartha because it makes him feel fulfilled and he finally understands what he has been searching for. The river represents how he has lived his life. It is always in existence. There is no concept of time, there is no past, present or future, it will always be everywhere at the same time. It relates to Siddhartha's own life. There was no past, because the past is still occuring. He is who he was when he was young and middle aged, and old because there is no end and he had to experience all that he did to learn this.