PARTISAN REVIEW
Even if we follow Mr. Clair's distinction between "nihilism" and
"traditionalism" as significant descriptions in the development of Juen–
ger's work, I think that if we look behind these labels, we shall find
that Juenger himself was quite right in insisting on the continuity of
his
ideologica~
position: the nihilistic
fa~ade
and the traditionalist vest–
ment conceal the same ideological content.
For what was Juenger's nihilism? It was, of course, a violent re–
jection of every aspect of modern bourgeois society and ideology; but
what matters is that it also carried a definite positive message: it glorified
"war" as a metaphysical experience; glorified the birth of a new elite
attuned to the "heroic" and "elemental" forces released by the war;
glorified the reduction of the bourgeois individual to the technological
automaton (the so-called "worker-type"); glorified the emergence of
the "absolute state" capable of using these automatons for the purpose
of total war. The "absolute state" was a combination of socialism and
nationalism; socialism was defined as "the presupposition for the strictest
authoritarian order," nationalism as "the presupposition for tasks of an
imperial dimension." In this new order the happiness of the worker–
type masses meant "service" and "sacrifice"; freedom meant "obedience"
and "discipline."
I say "glorified" advisedly; for the crucial point is that, according
to Juenger, this was not only a picture of the age as it is, but as it
deserves to be, as it ought to be. What was unique in Juenger was his
trick of identifying what is with what ought to be. He said in effect:
this is my vision of the future, and I pronounce it the only future worth
living for. Significantly enough, he did not consider this a nihilistic
position at all, but stamped it with the affirmative label of "heroic
realism."
This vision of the future came to him on the field of battle. In
battle the individual becomes an automaton, a helpless extension of the
material instruments of war, who can find expression only in the explo–
sions of violence and death. But while it has been customary-though
perhaps old-fashioned-to consider this extreme situation as the most
complete alienation, humiliation, and degradation of individuality,
Juenger could come to terms with this experience only by endowing it
with the romantic ecstasy of an absolute value. In the structure of
German society there were unfortunately large and powerful groups
which could not make their peace with war and defeat on any other
terms. Therein lay Juenger's strength and appeal in the twenties.
Does this make Juenger a Nazi or fascist?
If
by Nazi is meant
active participation in the regime after 1933, then Juenger was
not
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