I think Russia is on a road to embrace a rightist Western reaction to the contemporary Western institutionalism. Russian philosophy has historically evolved as embracing Western counter or reactionary philosophy. Subscribed.
Wonderful to still read someone referencing Spengler. In 1000 pages of dense Germanic English there is some 100 pages of absolutely inspired writing. When I read 'Decline' some 60 years ago, it opened my eyes to a new way of seeing history. The concept of Russian pseudomorphosis explains a great deal, the conflict between Westernizers and Slavophiles, both politically and spiritually. However I remember (my mentor) John Lukacs writing somewhere (paraphrase) that if the pivotal fact of the 20th century was that the Americans spoke English (and thus opposed the Germans in 2 wars) then perhaps the pivotal fact of the 21st century will be that the Russians are white ---- that they might be allied with the West vs Asia. We shall see. However, the Russian historical saga is much younger -- and thus more vital in the long term -- than that of the West.
Also pace Spengler, it does seem that the West ie entering the period of Caesarism, which Spengler viewed as the only way to overcome the oligarchic power of money. Not that Trump is Caesar-like, but he seems to be paving the way.
I just discovered your writing and much appreciate it...thank you, Randy Foote
> At its core, this is a Heideggerian crisis of Being—not simply a fear of Western dominance, but of cultural oblivion, of being reduced to a mere appendage of the very world it has spent centuries resisting. Paradoxically, Russia’s struggle is for the preservation of an identity that refuses to vanish—even as it remains uncertain of what it truly is.
The irony is that Heideggerian "authenticity" is yet another Western philosophy. One that is extremely destructive.
Interesting article. Hannah Arendt came to mind: a grounding of people not to cling or be coerced to an ideology, but rather come together, think, and make judgements on the social they want to labor, work, and act politically. The idea of the heartland also came to mind: ideas and powers surrounding, the unknowing of what to be, rather stay grounded in what you are. Has history brought us to a place where groups can be more resistant to change? An anti-Superman, state molding of civilization; rather organic civilizations. If so the violence Russia is exporting is a revolt against its own civilizational desire to just be. I enjoyed the article.
I think Russia is on a road to embrace a rightist Western reaction to the contemporary Western institutionalism. Russian philosophy has historically evolved as embracing Western counter or reactionary philosophy. Subscribed.
Between Putin and Trump we seem to be caught in some sort of Heideggerian nightmare reminiscent of Jack Kerouac at Big Sur ...
Wonderful to still read someone referencing Spengler. In 1000 pages of dense Germanic English there is some 100 pages of absolutely inspired writing. When I read 'Decline' some 60 years ago, it opened my eyes to a new way of seeing history. The concept of Russian pseudomorphosis explains a great deal, the conflict between Westernizers and Slavophiles, both politically and spiritually. However I remember (my mentor) John Lukacs writing somewhere (paraphrase) that if the pivotal fact of the 20th century was that the Americans spoke English (and thus opposed the Germans in 2 wars) then perhaps the pivotal fact of the 21st century will be that the Russians are white ---- that they might be allied with the West vs Asia. We shall see. However, the Russian historical saga is much younger -- and thus more vital in the long term -- than that of the West.
Also pace Spengler, it does seem that the West ie entering the period of Caesarism, which Spengler viewed as the only way to overcome the oligarchic power of money. Not that Trump is Caesar-like, but he seems to be paving the way.
I just discovered your writing and much appreciate it...thank you, Randy Foote
> At its core, this is a Heideggerian crisis of Being—not simply a fear of Western dominance, but of cultural oblivion, of being reduced to a mere appendage of the very world it has spent centuries resisting. Paradoxically, Russia’s struggle is for the preservation of an identity that refuses to vanish—even as it remains uncertain of what it truly is.
The irony is that Heideggerian "authenticity" is yet another Western philosophy. One that is extremely destructive.
Interesting article. Hannah Arendt came to mind: a grounding of people not to cling or be coerced to an ideology, but rather come together, think, and make judgements on the social they want to labor, work, and act politically. The idea of the heartland also came to mind: ideas and powers surrounding, the unknowing of what to be, rather stay grounded in what you are. Has history brought us to a place where groups can be more resistant to change? An anti-Superman, state molding of civilization; rather organic civilizations. If so the violence Russia is exporting is a revolt against its own civilizational desire to just be. I enjoyed the article.