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THE IDEA OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE HISTORICAL PROCESS – WHY OSWALD SPENGLER WAS WRONG.
Abstract
I would like to present some ideas regarding historical process: its nature and principles. I will start with the idea of eternal return of Heraclitus (c. 535 – c. 475 BCE) and his „Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers” thought. From his conception of cyclical historical process drew Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), who devoted his doctoral dissertation to philosophy of this Ionian thinker. I will discuss extensively Spengler conviction about the collapse of Western civilization which was grounded in philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Nietzsche's philosophy impact, in my opinion, is one of the strongest factors to pessimistic perspective of modern philosophers. I analyze Spengler's views on human free will and destiny. I also describe and criticize Spengler's conception of culture and its consequences. I disagree with his pessimistic philosophy and show his drawbacks. Namely Spengler says that every event is unpredictable and incalculable chance, but we can analyze it by comparing to earlier cultures and through this know our future. On the other hand, according to Spengler's there is no link between our contemporary culture, the culture of the west, and the other and earlier. This position also seems untenable because contemporary culture derives from discoveries and inventions of earlier cultures, which in theory one could not communicate. I also remind Golo Mann's (1909-1994) conception of human nature and I compare it to Spengler's and I argue that Oswald Spengler was wrong.
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