Supra-national, Nomadic Man
A friend forwarded to me the address of a conservative web site. The site featured an article that explores the negative reaction expressed by the conservative minded to philosophers who specialize in postmodern thought. In our discussion group there is always push back when an essay is offered, authored by Slavoj Zizek or Michele Foucault, and others. I understand postmodern analysis to be an attempt to comprehend the post-industrial world, especially the 21st century. There is wide spread disillusionment about the inevitability of Progress. Climate change is beginning to disrupt populations with drought, and out-of-season mega weather events are common. A tornado in winter was unheard of several years ago. We have juxtaposed extremely powerful tools (the iphone in my pocket has more computing power than was available to put the first American on the moon) –with neighborhoods that are apocalyptic wastelands of unemployment and murderous violence. How are these two phenomena related? Conservative political cults are pushing what we thought were established Democracies and middle class societies toward forms of tyranny.
These conditions are what the postmodern thinker explores and the story he or she seeks to tell.
These words were written in 1886.
………a tremendous physiological process is taking place and gains momentum. The Europeans are becoming more similar to each other, their increasing detachment from the conditions under which, climatically and hereditarily, united races originate, their increasing independence of any determinate milieu, that for centuries would fain inscribe itself with equal demands on soul and body,–that is to say, the slow emergence of an essentially SUPRA-NATIONAL and nomadic type of man, who possesses, physiologically speaking, a maximum of the art and power of adaptation as his typical distinction.
This process of the “evolving European”, which can be retarded in its tempo by great relapses, but will perhaps just gain and grow thereby in vehemence and depth–the still-raging storm and stress of “national sentiment” pertains to it, and also the anarchism which is appearing at present–this process will probably arrive at results on which its naive propagators and advocates, the apostles of “modern ideas,” would least care to reckon. The same new conditions under which on an average a levelling and mediocrising of man will take place–a useful, industrious, variously serviceable, and handy, multi-purpose herd animal–are in the highest degree suitable to give rise to exceptional men of the most dangerous and attractive qualities.
……….. the collective impression of such future Europeans will probably be that of numerous, talkative, weak-willed, and very handy workmen who will be in need of a master and commander, as they require their daily bread.
While, therefore, the democratising of Europe will tend to the production of a type prepared for “slavery” in the most subtle sense of the term: the strong man will necessarily in individual and exceptional cases, become stronger and richer than he has perhaps ever been before.
I meant to say that the democratising of Europe is at the same time an involuntary arrangement for the rearing of tyrants–taking the word in all its meanings, even in its most spiritual sense.
Beyond Good and Evil, by Friedrich Nietzsche, Peoples and Fatherlands #242
