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I found "THE RETREAT INTO THE FOREST" this morning at the University of Washington li rary and s!

anned it into the !om"uter this afternoon# $y O%R soft&are is medio!re so "lease ear &ith the miss"ellings# Than's Ri!hard for the ti"( )age *s +,-./,0-1 and headers from the 2ournal o!!ur every fe& "aragra"hs# If any ody 'no&s of any other essays "u lished in any other English "eriodi!als "lease let me 'no&# I don3t s"ea' 4erman# Earl Ryan 5//////////////////////////////////////////// %onfluen!e6 vol 76 *-6 8une ,9:0 //////////////////////////////////////////// ; ,-. EURO)EAN <IEWS The Retreat Into the Forest ERNST 8UN4ER FEAR is one of the most !hara!teristi! "henomena of our age# Its a""earan!e is all the more "er"le=ing6 e!ause it follo&s !losely u"on an era of individual freedom in &hi!h even the misery &hi!h &as still familiar to >i!'ens had e!ome almost un'no&n# Ho& did this reversal !ome a out? Were one to !hoose a turning "oint6 one &ould find none more suita le than the day of the Titani! shi"&re!'# There light and dar'ness !lash@ the hu ris of "rogress is !onfronted y "ani!6 lu=urious !omfort y destru!tion6 automatism y the !atastro"he &hi!h a""ears as a traffi! a!!ident# Indeed6 in!reasing automatism and an=iety are !losely related# They a""ear &henever man limits the s!o"e of his de!isions in order to ease his fate y te!hnologi!al means# To e sure6 these limitations result in a variety of !onvenien!es@ ut they are a!!om"anied y an in!reasing loss of freedom# The individual is no longer rooted in so!iety as a tree in a forest6 rather he is !om"ara le to the "assenger in a ra"idly moving vehi!le &hose name may e "Titani!6" ut also "Aeviathan#" As long as the &eather holds and the outloo' is "leasant6 he &ill s!ar!ely noti!e the !urtailment of his freedom# He may even e filled &ith o"timism and &ith the !ons!iousness of "o&er "rodu!ed y the sense of s"eed# But all this !hanges &hen the fiery vol!ani! islands and i!e ergs emerge on the horiCon# Then not only &ill te!hnology !laim a right to dominate fields other than the "ro!urement of !omfort6 ut at the same time the la!' of freedom &ill 8UN4ER6 Ernst@ orn ,D9:@ Author@ Wor's in!lude In Stahlge&ittern6 ig-o6 >er Eam"f als ,3nneres Erle nis6 ,9--6 >er Ar eiteF/6 ,97-6 Auf den $armor'li""en6 ,9796 $yrdun6 ,9076 >er Friede6 ,90D6 Strahlungen6 I9096

H!lio"olis6 ,9096 >er 4ordis!he Enoten6 I9:,/ ,-D EURO)EAN <IEWS

e!ome a""arent / e it in the vi!tory of elemental for!es or in the fa!t that individuals &ho have remained strong a!Guire the means to e=er!ise a solute "o&er# It may e o 2e!ted that ages of an=iety and of a"o!aly"ti! "ani! o!!urred &ithout a !om"ara le automatism# This may e6 for the automatism e!omes terrifying only &hen it is revealed as one of the forms6 indeed as the style of nemesis# The an=iety of modern man may e of a very s"e!ial sort or it may e merely the !ontem"orary in!arnation of a re!urrent !osmi! an=iety# This "ro lem need not detain us# Rather &e should as' a Guestion &hi!h !on!erns all of usH is it "ossi le to redu!e the fear &hile the automatism of the age "ersists6 or rather6 &hile this automatism / as may e anti!i"ated / ma'es further "rogress to&ard its ultimate "erfe!tion? %an &e stay on shi" oard and at the same time reserve our "o&ers of free de!ision? %an &e not merely "reserve6 ut strengthen the roots &hi!h still !ling to the "rime de"ths of Being? This is the essential Guestion of our time# The reader &ill have e="erien!ed a !hange in the nature of &hat is !onsidered a Guestion# We are !onstantly !onfronted y for!es that Guestion us# And their inGuisitiveness is y no means motivated y a !on!ern &ith ideas# In a""roa!hing us &ith their Guestions6 they do not e="e!t us to "romote the !ause of o 2e!tive truth6 or even to !ontri ute to the solution of any s"e!ifi! "ro lems# They are not !on!erned &ith our solutions6 ut &ith our ans&ers# This distin!tion is relevant# In!reasingly6 the a!t of Guestioning ta'es on the !hara!teristi!s of a !ross e=amination6 a "ro!ess &hi!h !an e studied in the develo"ment &hi!h leads from the allot/ o= to the Guestionnaire# The allot is designed to determine a fa!tual relationshi"6 the &ill of the voter6 and the a!t of voting is so organiCed that it may e e="ressed &ithout outside intervention or influen!e# Hen!e the a!t of voting is a!!om"anied y the feeling of se!urity and even y the sense of "o&er &hi!h distinguishes of sovereign e="ression of the free &ill &ithin a s"here "rote!ted y THE RE T INTO THE FOREST ,-9

la&# But the !ontem"orary6 o liged to re"ly to a Guestionnaire6 is far removed from this sense of se!urity# His statements are far/r!a!hing in their im"li!ations6 for his fate may de"end u"on them# We see individuals !onfronted y a situation in &hi!h they are as'ed to "ro!ure do!uments designed to !ause their ruin# And ho& trivial are the things &hi!h no&adays determine the destru!tion of man( It stands to reason that the !hange in the nature of the "ro!ess of Guestioning "oints to an order of things altogether different from that at the eginning of the !entury# The old se!urity has disa""eared6 and &e must ad2ust our thin'ing a!!ordingly#

Iuestions "ress in on us ever more !losely6 ever more mena!ingly6 and the manner in &hi!h &e ans&er e!omes in!reasingly signifi!ant# And even silen!e has e!ome an ans&er# These are the dilemmas of the age6 and there is no es!a"e from them# Another !hara!teristi! of our "eriod is the intert&ining of signifi!ant events &ith insignifi!ant re"resentatives# This is "arti!ularly remar'a le in our great men# They ma'e the im"ression of figures &hi!h !an e seen in any num er in the !offee/houses of <ienna or in "rovin!ial offi!ers3 !lu s# These are the men &ho !ause millions to trem le6 &ho sha"e the fate of !ountless num ers# And yet they are the very men &hom our time has sele!ted &ith unfailing ta!t6 d &e !onsider it under one of its as"e!ts6 that of a tremendous &re!'ing enter"rise# All these liGuidations6 rationaliCations6 so!ialiCations6 !le!trifi!ations and "ulveriCations reGuire neither !ulture nor !hara!ter6 oth of &hi!h are a threat to the automatism# Wherever in our "eriod "o&er is essential6 it is attra!ted y the individual in &hom the insignifi!ant is !ou"led &ith a strong &ill# Su!h "henomena have o!!urred efore in the history of man'ind# They might e !ounted among the atro!ities &hi!h are rarely missing &hen great transformations ta'e "la!e# $ore disGuieting is the fa!t that !ruelty threatens to e!ome not an a!!om"animent ut an inse"ara le element of the ne& "o&er stru!tures6 and that the individual is e="osed to it &ithout any "ossi ility of defending himself# There are several reasons for this6 a ove all the fa!t that rational thin'ing is itself !ruel and that this !ruelty then enters into the "ro!/ ,7J EURO)EAN <IEWS

ess of "lanning# The e=tin!tion of free !om"etition "lays a s"e!ial "art6 leading to a !urious distortion# For !om"etition is li'e a ra!e in &hi!h the most s'illful &in the "riCe# Where it !eases6 it is re"la!ed domesti!ally y great "ressures for a general sine!ure at the e="ense of the state6 &hile e=ternal !om"etition / the ra!e et&een the states / !ontinues# Terror ste"s into the resulting ga"# The s"eed formerly "rodu!ed y the ra!e of !om"etition must no& e "rodu!ed y fear# In the one !ase the standards of effi!ien!y de"end on high "ressure6 in the other on a va!uum# There it is the &inner &ho sets the "a!e6 here it is the man &ho is &orse off# For this reason the state feels !onstantly !om"elled to su 2e!t a segment of its "o"ulation to atro!ities# Aife has e!ome gray6 ut it may &ell seem eara le to the man &ho6 ne=t to himself6 sees the a solute la!' of utter dar'ness# These6 and not their e!onomi! im"li!ations6 are the dangers of e=tensive "lanning# The sele!tion of the "erse!uted grou"s is a Guestion of se!ondary im"ortan!e# They &ill al&ays e minorities6 set a"art either y nature or artifi!ial !onstru!tion# O viously6 all &ho are distinguished y virtue of tradition or e=!ellen!e &ill e endangered# It is understanda le that under these !onditions human eings &ould rather su mit to the most o""ressive urdens than to e !ounted among those &ho are "different#" Seemingly &ithout effort the automatism su!!eeds in destroying the remnants of free

&ill6 and "erse!ution e!omes u iGuitous li'e an all/"ervasive element# Es!a"e may e "ossi le for a favored fe&6 ut it usually leads to something &orse# Resistan!e only animates the Aeviathan y giving him a &el!ome "rete=t for re"ressive measures# In the fa!e of su!h !onditions only one ho"e seems to remain6 that the "ro!ess may s"end itself li'e a vol!ano s"ends its fiery ashes# But at this "oint a Guestion arises6 &hi!h is not at all theoreti!al6 ut an inevita le !on!omitant of every !ontem"orary e=isten!e &hether there is not6 after all6 another road that may e traveled6 &hether there do not e=ist mountain "asses &hi!h !an e dis!overed only after a long as!ent# Ne& !on!e"tions of authority and great !on!entrations of "o&er have arisen# In order to resist them6 &e re/ THE RETREAT INTO THE FO$T ,7,

reGuire a ne& !on!e"tion of freedom trans!ending the anemi! a stra!tions &e have !ome to asso!iate &ith this term# The first "rereGuisite for this ne& a&areness is that man must not !ontent himself &ith eing left in "ea!e@ that he must e ready to ris' his life# In that !ase6 &e shall soon learn that even in the states in &hi!h the "o&er of the "oli!e has e!ome over&helming6 inde"enden!e is y no means e=tin!t# The armor of the ne& Aeviathan has its !hin's &hi!h must e !onstantly sought out6 an a!tivity reGuiring oth !aution and auda!ity of a 'ind hitherto un'no&n# This suggests that elites are a out to egin the struggle for a ne& freedom &hi!h &ill reGuire great sa!rifi!e and &hi!h must not e inter"reted in a manner un&orthy of it# In order to find analogies &e must go a!' to ages of strength6 say6 to the "eriod of the Huguenots or of the guerillas as 4oya sa& them in his >esastros# %om"ared to these6"the storming of the Bastille / an event &hi!h still "rovides nourishment for the !urrent notion of freedom / a""ears li'e a Sunday stroll into the su ur s# Is there at least one root left &hi!h &ill o"en u" the ri!hes of the soil? Health and life de"end u"on it / eyond all !iviliCation6 and eyond its safeguards# This e!omes evident in "eriods of e=treme danger6 &hen the a""aratus not only forsa'es the individual ut even turns against him# Then ea!h individual must de!ide &hether he &ants to surrender or to "ersevere y relying on his o&n and innermost strength# In this !ase he may !hoose the retreat into the forest +Waldgang1# The shi" is a sym ol of tem"oral e=isten!e6 the forest a sym ol of su"ratem"oral Being# In our nihilisti! e"o!h6 o"ti!al illusions multi"ly and motion seems to e!ome "ervasive# A!tually6 ho&ever6 all the !ontem"orary dis"lay of te!hni!al "o&er is merely an e"hemeral refle!tion of the ri!hness of Being# In gaining a!!ess to it6 and e it only for an instant6 man &ill gain in&ard se!urityH the tem"oral "henomena &ill not only lose their mena!e6 ut they &ill assume a "ositive signifi!an!e# We shall !all this reorientation to&ard ,7EURO)EAN <IEWS

Being the retreat into the forest +Waldgang16 and the man &ho !arries it out the &anderer in the forest +Waldganger1# Similar to the term "&or'er" +60r eiter16 it signifies a s!ale of values# For it a""lies not only to a variety of forms of a!tivity6 ut also to various stages in the e="ression of an underlying attitude# The term has its "rehistory in an old I!elandi! !ustom# The @retreat into the forest follo&ed u"on "ros!ri"tion# Through it a man asserted his &ill to survive y virtue of his o&n strength# That &as held to e honora le6 and it is still so today in s"ite of all !ommon"la!es to the !ontrary# Wanderers in the forest +Waldganger1 are all those &ho6 isolated y great u"heavals6 are !onfronted &ith ultimate annihilation# Sin!e this !ould e the fate of many6 indeed6 of all6 another defining !hara!teristi! must e addedH the &anderer in the forest +Waldganger1 is determined to offer resistan!e# He is &illing to enter into a struggle that may a""ear ho"eless# Hen!e he is distinguished y an immediate relationshi" to freedom &hi!h e="resses itself in the fa!t that he is "re"ared to o""ose the automatism and to re2e!t its ethi!al !on!lusion of fatalism# If &e loo' at him in this fashion6 &e shall understand the role &hi!h the retreat into the forest +Waldgang1 "lays not only in our thoughts ut also in the realities of our age# Everyone today is su 2e!t to !oer!ion6 and the attem"ts to anish it are old e="eriments u"on &hi!h de"ends a destiny far greater than the fate of those &ho dare to underta'e them# The retreat into the forest +Waldgang1 is not to e understood as a form of anar!hism dire!ted against the &orld of te!hnology6 although this is a tem"tation6 "arti!ularly for those &ho strive to regain a myth# Undou tedly6 mythology &ill a""ear again# It is al&ays "resent and arises in a "ro"itious hour li'e a treasure !oming to the surfa!e# But man does not return to the realm of myth6 he reen!ounters it &hen the age is out of 2oint and in the magi! !ir!le of e=treme danger# It is not a Guestion therefore of !hoosing the forest or the shi" ut of !hoosing oth the forest and the shi"# The num er of those &ho &ant to a andon the shi" is gro&ing6 and among them are !lear heads and fine minds# But it amounts to a disem ar'ation in mid/o!ean# Hunger &ill follo&6 and THE RETREAT INTO THE FOREST ,77 !anni alism6 and the shar'sH in short6 all the terrors that have een re"orted from the raft of $edusa# Hen!e it is advisa le under all !ir!umstan!es to stay a oard even at the danger of eing lo&n u"# This o 2e!tion is not dire!ted against the "oet &ho reveals / through his life as &ell as through his &or' / the vast su"eriority of the artisti! universe over the &orld of te!hnology# He hel"s man to redis!over himselfH the "oet is a &anderer in the forest +Waldganger16 for authorshi" is merely another form of inde"enden!e# In general6 &e are not !on!erned &ith s"e!ifi! "oliti!al and te!hnologi!al !onfigurations# Their fleeting images "ass6 ut the mena!e remains or returns &ith ever greater s"eed and &ith in!reased im"a!t# The o""onents !ome to resem le one another to su!h an e=tent that it is easy to re!ogniCe

them as disguises of the very same "o&er# Our tas' then is not to master the e=ternal "henomena here or there6 ut to su due the age# That reGuires a sovereign &ill &hi!h6 no&adays6 is to e found less in heroi! de!isions than in the man &ho has fors&orn fear in his o&n heart# The immense "re!autions of the state are dire!ted against him and him alone6 and yet ultimately they are destined to ring a out his trium"h# When he realiCes this6 he is li erated and di!tatorshi"s sin' into dust# Therein lie the unta""ed resour!es of our age and not only of ours# This is the theme of all history and it defines history6 setting it a"art from the realm of the demons and from mere Coologi!al events# It is anti!i"ated y myth and y the great religions6 and re!urs forever# Again and again giants and titans a""ear &ith the same seemingly over&helming su"eriority6 only to e felled y the free man &ho need not al&ays e a "rin!e or a Hera!les# The stone from the sling of the she"herd6 the anner raised y a maiden6 and a !ross o&6 have also een 'no&n to suffi!e# III At this "oint another Guestion arises# To &hat e=tent is freedom desira le in the first "la!e? %an it serve a "ur"ose &ithin our "resent histori!al situation? Is it not a distin!tive merit of !ontem"orary man / and a merit easily underestimated / that he 'no&s ho& to ,70 EURO)EAN <IEWS

renoun!e freedom to so large an e=tent? In many &ays he is li'e a soldier mar!hing to&ard un'no&n destinations or li'e a &or'er uilding a "ala!e others shall inha it# Nor is this his &orst as"e!t# Should he e distra!ted as long as the "ro!ess !ontinues? There is no dou t that there are goals served y !ountless millions &ho lead lives &hi!h &ould e un eara le &ithout this "ros"e!t and &hi!h !annot e e="lained in terms of sheer !oer!ion# The sa!rifi!es &ill "erha"s rea" them glory only in a distant future6 ut they &ill not have een in vain# The "ro!esses &ill !ontinue6 and as in all !onditions ordained y fate6 the attem"ts to delay the develo"ment and to revert to "oints of de"arture &ill only serve to further and to a!!elerate the !ourse of events# It is &ell to remain a&are of the inevita le in order to avoid eing /lost in illusions# Freedom !oe=ists &ith ne!essity6 and only after freedom enters into a relation &ith ne!essity !an the ne& state of mind emerge# Every transformation of the !on!e"t of ne!essity has rought &ith it a !hange in the !on!e"t of freedom# For this reason the notions of freedom of ,,.D9 have e!ome o solete and are no longer effe!tive against the !oer!ion of our time# Freedom in itself is immortal6 ut in ea!h "eriod it a""ears in a different guise and must e !onGuered ane&# History in the true sense !an e made only y free men@ it is the form given y the free to his destiny# In this sense6 man !an a!t as a sym ol@ his sa!rifi!e in!ludes and !ounts for the other mem ers of the !ommunity# It !annot e our tas'6 then6 to !hange the design of the universe# But "ala!es !ould e uilt u"on it and not only the ant/hea"s anti!i"ated y the uto"ias of our day#

Aet us !onsider a further o 2e!tion# Should &e restri!t ourselves to a "hiloso"hy of !atastro"he? Should &e / and e it only in our s"iritual "reo!!u"ations / see' out the &aters of e=treme danger6 the !atara!ts6 the maelstroms6 the huge a ysses? This is an o 2e!tion not to e underestimated# $u!h is to e said for the 2udi!ious man &ho ma"s out the safe itineraries &ith the firm &ill to "ersevere in his !ourse# It is a "ro lem &hi!h !an assume "ra!ti!al as"e!ts6 as in the !ase of armaments# Armaments are de/ THE RETREAT INTO THE FOREST ,7:

signed for the eventuality of &ar6 to egin &ith as a "reventive measure# Su seGuently6 they lead to a orderline situation &here "re"aredness seems to invite &ar# There are 'inds of investment &hi!h6 under all !ir!umstan!es6 must end/in an'ru"t!y# Thus systems of lightning/rods are !on!eiva le &hi!h &ould ultimately ring on the thunderstorms# The same !onsiderations a""ly in the s"iritual realm# In !onsidering the marginal !ase6 &e may overloo' the routes 3II o"en# Ho&ever6 one does not e=!lude the other# Rather reason demands that &e !onsider all "ossi le eventualities6 and 'ee" a res"onse in readiness for ea!h6 as one does on the !hess oard# In our situation it is our duty to re!'on &ith !atastro"he6 to slee" &ith it6 so to s"ea'6 so that &e shall not e !aught una&are# Only in this manner !an &e a!Guire a reserve of se!urity &hi!h &ill ena le us to a!t reasona ly# In a state of !om"lete se!urity our thought merely "lays &ith the "ossi ility of !atastro"he# We in!lude it in our "lans as an im"ro a le eventuality6 and &e "rote!t ourselves &ith minimal "re!autions# In our days the reverse must e the !ase# We must s"end almost our entire !a"ital on the "ossi ility of !atastro"he "re!isely in order to 'ee" o"en the middle road that has e!ome as narro& as the edge of a 'nife# But &e are !on!erned here &ith the threat to &hi!h the individual is e="osed6 and &ith his fear6 not &ith "oliti!s or "oliti!al ideas# Fundamentally the individual is only interested in his "rofession6 in his family6 and in the "ursuit of his in!linations6 ut6 sooner or later6 the age intrudes u"on him# Either !onditions gradually deteriorate or he is e="osed to e=tremes# E="ro"riation6 !om"ulsory la or6 and &orse a""ear on his horiCon# Before long6 he &ill realiCe that neutrality &ould e tantamount to sui!ide /you must either ho&l &ith the &olves or fight them# Where in his distress !an he find a third so solution &hi!h leaves him some freedom from the dynami!s of the events? Only in his e=isten!e as an individual6 in his o&n Being &hi!h remains unsha'en# Anyone &ho has es!a"ed from !atastro"hes 'no&s that6 in the last analysis6 he o&ed his res!ue to sim"le human eings &ho did not su mit to the "o&er of hatred and fear or to the automatism of slogans# They resisted ,7K EURO)EAN <IEWS

the im"a!t of "ro"aganda and of te!hni!al suggestiveness6 the im"a!t of all demonia! for!es of our !iviliCation# Immeasura le may e the lessings &hen

su!h virtue e!omes visi le in the leaders of nations6 as it e!ame manifest in Augustus# U"on this virtue em"ires are founded# The "rin!e does not rule y 'illing6 ut y giving life# Therein lies one of the great ho"es6 that among the fa!eless millions one "erfe!t human eing may arise# Among su!h humans &e may name So!rates &hose e=am"le ins"ired not only the Stoa ut !ountless s"irits of all ages# We may differ in our o"inions !on!erning the life and the tea!hings of this man@ his death elongs to the greatest of all events# The &orld is su!h that "re2udi!e and "assion &ill ever again demand lood# It is ne!essary to realiCe that this &ill never e other&ise# The arguments !hange6 ut stu"idity sits forever in 2udgment# $en &ere rought efore its tri unal first6 e!ause they des"ised the gods@ then e!ause they did not re!ogniCe a dogma@ or again6 e!ause they offended against a theory# There e=ists no great &ord or no le thought in the name of &hi!h lood has not een s"illed# The message of So!rates resides in the !onvi!tion of the invalidity of the verdi!t &hi!h testifies to a standard trans!ending the human s!ale# The true verdi!t &as s"o'en long efore the trial egan and too' e="ression in the e=altation of the vi!tim# The trial is "erennial6 and the "hilistines &ho sat in 2udgment then may e met today on every street !orner and in every "arliament# The idea that this might end has al&ays distinguished the shallo& thin'ers# But human greatness must e re!onGuered again and again# It trium"hs &henever man masters the onslaught of vulgarity in his o&n heart# Therein resides the real su stan!e of history@ in the en!ounter of man &ith himself6 that is to say6 &ith his o&n divine "o&er# That must e understood if one &ishes to tea!h history# So!rates !alled the s"here &here he &as !ounseled y a voi!e not to e e="ressed in &ords6 his daimonion# It might also e !alled the forest# But &hat does it mean to the !ontem"orary if &e advise him to follo& the e=am"le of the man &ho !onGuered death6 the models of gods6 heroes6 and sages? It means that he "arti!i"ates in the resistan!e THE RE T INTO THE FO"ST ,7.

against the age6 and6 indeed6 not against this age only6 ut against every age &hose asi! motivation is fear# It is in the nature of things that edu!ation today aims at the very o""osite# Never efore have su!h strange notions !on!erning the tea!hing of history e=isted# All these systems are designed to !ut off the influ= of meta"hysi!s6 to domesti!ate and to drill the s"irits for the enefit of the !olle!tive# Even &hen the Aeviathan is o liged to rely u"on !ourage6 as on the attlefield6 it &ill attem"t to 'ee" the fighting man in "la!e &ith a se!ond and stronger mena!e# In su!h states one de"ends on the "oli!e# We tou!h here the !ore of modern suffering6 the great em"tiness6 &hi!h NietCs!he !alled the gro&th of the desert# The desert is gro&ing@ this is the s"e!ta!le of !iviliCation &ith its draining relationshi"s# In this lands!a"e &e yearn for sustenan!eH "The desert is gro&ing@ &oe to him &ho !ontains deserts &ithin himself#" It &ill e &ell if the !hur!hes !reate oases# It &ill e etter still if man is not satisfied even &ith that# The

!hur!h !an give us assistan!e6 ut not e=isten!e# The de!ision &ill ta'e "la!e &ithin man@ no one !an s"are him his travails# The great loneliness of the individual elongs to the !hara!teristi!s of the age# He is surrounded and im"risoned y an=iety &hi!h !loses in u"on him li'e a""roa!hing &alls# An=iety e!omes tangi le in the "risons6 in slavery6 and in the attles of modern &ar# These e="erien!es fill the thoughts6 the soliloGuies6 "erha"s even the diaries in years &hen a man may not even trust his !losest neigh or# Let the "ro=imity of saving "o&ers is also felt# The terrors are alarms6 sym"toms of ever more insistent Guestions &hi!h are eing "ut to man# No one !an s"are him the ans&er# The desert is gro&ing@ the faded6 infertile s"heres are multi"lying# The fields &hi!h gave life "ur"ose are disa""earing@ so are the gardens from &hi!h one !an ta'e nourishment &ithout sus"i!ion6 the sheds &hi!h have familiar tools# The la&s have e!ome du ious6 the &ea"ons dou le/edged# Woe to him &ho har ors deserts@ &ho does not !ontain6 e it only in one !ell6 the su stan!e &hi!h ever again guarantees fertility# ,7D EATRO)EAN <IEWS I< It is frightening ho& !on!e"ts and o 2e!ts often !hange their a""earan!e over night6 and "rodu!e &holly une="e!ted results# That is a sym"tom of anar!hy# Aet us !onsider6 for instan!e6 freedom and the rights of the individual in relation to authority# These are determined y the !onstitution# Again and again6 and6 unfortunately6 for some time to !ome6 &e &ill have to e="e!t the violation of these rights y the state6 y a "arty &hi!h has seiCed the state6 y a foreign invader6 or y a !om ination of these for!es# It may e said that the masses6 at least in our !ountry6 are in a state &here they s!ar!ely "er!eive the violation of the %onstitution any longer# It seems that they are far more !on!erned &ith foot all games than &ith their o&n asi! rights# On!e this !ons!iousness is lost6 it !annot e restored artifi!ially# The violation of a la& !an assume a legal varnish@ for e=am"le6 &hen a ruling "arty "revails u"on a ma2ority to !hange the !onstitution# The ma2ority !an e right and yet !ommit &rong6 a !ontradi!tion that the sim"le/minded !annot gras"# Even at "le is!ites it is often diffi!ult to de!ide &here the la& ends and violen!e egins# These en!roa!hments !an gradually gain in strength until they assume the !hara!ter of "ure atro!ities# Those &ho &itnessed these a!tions6 a!!om"anied y the a""lause of the masses6 'no& that traditional e="edients are of no avail against them# Sui!ide is not to e e="e!ted from every ody6 least of all &hen re!ommended from a road# No fate is more ho"eless than to live in a "eriod in &hi!h the la& has e!ome a &ea"on# In 4ermany6 resistan!e against authority is6 or &as6 es"e!ially diffi!ult e!ause6 from the days of legitimate monar!hy6 the "o"ulation "reserved a modi!um of res"e!t for the state# Hen!e the individual found it diffi!ult to understand &hy the vi!torious "o&ers "rose!uted him6 not merely y means of a lan'et a!!usation of !olle!tive guilt6 ut also as an individual for

having6 for e=am"le6 !ontinued in his "rofession as a !ondu!tor of an or!hestra or as a "u li! offi!ial# Although this state of mind "rodu!ed some grotesGue THE RETREAT INTO THE FOREST ,79

results6 &e must not treat it as a mere !uriosity# It is indi!ative of a ne& feature in our &orld6 in &hi!h foreigners may a!!use the individual as a !olla orator &ith "o"ular movements6 &hile "oliti!al "arties try him as a sym"athiCer of un"o"ular !auses# The individual is thus "la!ed et&een S!ylla and %hary dis@ he is threatened &ith liGuidation either e!ause he "arti!i"ated or e!ause he failed to "arti!i"ate# Hen!e6 a high degree of !ourage is reGuired &hi!h &ill ena le him to defend the !ause of 2usti!e all alone6 and even against the "o&er of the state# It &ill e dou ted &hether su!h men !an e found# Some &ill a""ear6 ho&ever6 and they &ill e &anderers in the forest +Waldganger1# Even against his &ill6 this ty"e of man &ill enter the histori!al s!ene6 for there are forms of !oer!ion that leave no !hoi!e# It may seem strange that a single individual6 or even several6 should resist the Aeviathan# Let it is "re!isely through their a!tion that the !olossus reveals its vulnera ility# For even a handful of determined men !an e!ome a threat6 not only morally ut "hysi!ally# Again and again &e &itness that t&o or three gangsters !an u"set an entire metro"olitan distri!t6 and !ause lengthy sieges# If the relationshi" is reversed6 if the authorities turn !riminal and men of 2usti!e offer resistan!e6 in!om"ara ly greater effe!ts !an e "rodu!ed# The !onsternation of Na"oleon at the u"rising of $all!t6 a single6 ut un ending man is a &ell/'no&n instan!e# Aet us assume that a small num er of truly free men are left in a !ity or state# In that !ase the rea!h of the !onstitution &ould !arry a heavy ris'# In this sense6 the theory of !olle!tive guilt is 2ustified6 for the "ossi ility of violating a la& is dire!tly "ro"ortional to the degree of resistan!e it en!ounters at the hands of freedom# An atta!' on the invulnera ility and6 indeed6 on the san!tity of the home &ould not have een "ossi le in old I!eland6 in the form in &hi!h it &as "ossi le as a "urely administrative measure in Berlin in ,9776 in the midst of a "o"ulation of several millions# As an honora le e=!e"tion &e should mention a young So!ial >emo!rat &ho 'illed half a doCen of the so/!alled au=iliary "oli!e at the entran!e of his ,0J EURO)EAN <IEWS

a"artment# He still "artoo' of the su stantial Old/4ermani! sense of freedom &hi!h his o""onents !ele rated in their theories# Naturally6 he had not learned this from the "rogram of his "arty# Aet us su""ose6 furthermore6 that the authorities &ould have had to e="e!t an in!ident of this sort in every street of Berlin# In that !ase6 things &ould have een different# Aong "eriods of "ea!e and Guiet favor !ertain o"ti!al illusions# Among them is the assum"tion that the invulnera ility of the home is founded u"on the !onstitution and safeguarded y it# In

reality6 it rests u"on the father of the family &ho6 a!!om"anied y his sons6 a""ears &ith the a= on the threshold of his d&elling# This truth is not al&ays a""arent6 ho&ever# Nor is it to e !onstrued as an o 2e!tion to the !onstitution# It is sim"ly that the old saying still holdsH the man must vou!h for his oath@ the oath !annot vou!h for the man# The 4erman has een re"roa!hed for his la!' of resistan!e to offi!ial a!ts of violen!e and "erha"s 2ustifia ly# He did not yet 'no& the rules of the game6 and he felt threatened from other dire!tions &here there has never een any Guestion of asi! human rights# Those &ho died in a ho"eless struggle6 unarmed6 and in defense of their &ives and !hildren6 are6 as yet6 hardly noti!ed# But their lonely destru!tion &ill e!ome 'no&n# For it !ounts as a &eight in the s!ale of history# We6 &ho survived6 must see to it6 ho&ever6 that the s"e!ta!le of !oer!ion &hi!h met no resistan!e shall never e re"eated# v We live in a "eriod in &hi!h it is diffi!ult to distinguish et&een &ar and "ea!e6 and the oundaries et&een merit and !rime are o s!ured y intermediary shades# This de!eives even shar" eyes For into every !ase of individual guilt enters the !onfusion of the age6 the !olle!tive guilt# An aggravating !ir!umstan!e is the fa!t that there are no sovereigns left6 and that 3all &ho e=er!ise "o&er have risen y &ay of feuding "oliti!al "arties# This redu!es from the very outset the !a"a!ity for a!tions oriented to&ard the &elfare of the &holeH that is6 for im"artiality6 for generosity6 and for develo"ment# Those &ho e=er!ise "o&er "refer instead to live off the THE RENEAT lF THE FOR$T ,0,

&hole@ they are in!a"a le of "reserving it6 and of in!reasing it through their inner a undan!e6 through Being# Hen!e6 !a"ital is &asted y vi!torious fa!tions for the enefit of shortsighted aims and !on!e"tions# The only !onsolation is the realiCation that this s"e!ta!le is "art of a des!ent &hi!h leads in a definite dire!tion and to&ard definite goals# In former times6 "hases su!h as the "resent &ere termed an interregnum# Their distin!tive !hara!teristi! is the a sen!e of ultimate values# But it is already a signifi!ant a!hievement that &e re!ogniCe this6 and the realiCation is of mu!h greater value than the attem"t to reintrodu!e old and o solete values &ith the "retense that they might still e effe!tive# Our eyes re2e!t 4othi! ornaments in the &orld of ma!hinery@ in the moral realm a similar la& o tains# When all institutions have e!ome du ious or even infamous6 &hen you hear "rayers eing offered not for the "erse!uted ut for the "erse!utors6 then the ethi!al res"onsi ility shifts to the individual6 or rather to the individual &ho is still un ro'en6 the &anderer in the forest +Waldganger1# It is a hard de!ision &hi!h he must ma'e that he &ill reserve the right of inde"endent 2udgment &hatever the !ause for &hi!h his a""roval or "arti!i"ation is soli!ited# It &ill reGuire a !onsidera le sa!rifi!e6 ut

it &ill also lead to an immediate gain in sovereignty# As matters stand6 this gain &ill e felt as su!h only y very fe&# Let the "o&er of sovereign rule !an !ome only from those &ho have "reserved the a&areness of the "rimal s!ales of value6 only from the men &ho !annot e indu!ed to renoun!e humanity y any su"eriority of for!e# The great e="erien!e of the forest !onsists of the en!ounter &ith the Ego6 &ith the self6 &ith the inviolate !ore and essen!e that sustains the tem"oral and individual a""earan!e# This en!ounter6 so de!isive for the !onGuest of health and for the vi!tory over fear6 is also su"reme in its moral value# It leads to the "rimal asis of all so!ial inter!ourse6 to the man &hose e=am"le defines individuality# In this s"here &e &ill en!ounter not only !ommunity ut also identity# This is the sym oli! meaning of the em ra!eH the Ego re!ogniCes itself in the other human eing in the saying6 "This is you#" The I0EURO)EAN <IEWS

%d other" !an e the eloved6 the sufferer6 or the hel"less vi!tim# In giving hel"6 the Ego hel"s its o&n immortal essen!e and !onfirms the asi! ethi!al order of the universe# %ountless men are alive today &ho have traversed the nadirs of the nihilisti! "ro!ess# They 'no& that the me!hanism reveals itself as an ever/greater mena!e6 that man has entered into the interior of a huge ma!hine &hi!h has een designed for his annihilation# They have learned that every form of rationalism leads to ma!hine/li'e me!hanism6 and every me!hanism to torture as its logi!al !onseGuen!e6 a fa!t &hi!h the nineteenth !entury failed to gras"# A mira!le must ta'e "la!e if a man is to es!a"e from su!h &hirl"ools# And this mira!le has ta'en "la!e times &ithout num er &hen among the fa!eless num ers there a""eared an individual and gave su!!or# This &as the !ase even in the "risons and6 indeed6 es"e!ially there# In every situation and in his relation to every man6 the individual !an e!ome the rother /this is his genuine6 his sovereign6 trait# The origin of no ility &as the tas' of "rote!tion / "rote!tion against the threats of easts and monsters# This is the to'en of the aristo!rati! eing6 and it shines forth in the guard &ho se!retly gives a "ie!e of read to a "risoner# Su!h a!tions !an never !ease6 for the &orld su sists on them# They are the sa!rifi!es u"on &hi!h it rests#

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