OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CULTURE
433
The chief difference between Europe and America so far as
m~
culture is concerned (it seems to be forgotten that Europe
also has democratic societies) is that the European intellectual min–
ority has no sense of guilt at not being part of mass culture. No
doubt this is a hangover from the days of aristocracy, when all
standards of any kind were set by a minority; but the result has
been to temper the excessive swings from arrogance to humility,
and the incessant self-questionings, that show the insecurity of
American intellectual life. American intellectuals have become so
conditioned to majority rule that they feel guilty about being dif–
ferent and share, if only subconsciously and unwillingly, the feeling
of the American mass-man that too much culture is unhealthy un–
less put to some immediately practical use. For this reason, I think
that the most important thing Europe can still give American in–
tellectuals and artists is simple, unassertive, nonbelligerent self-re–
spect. And it can teach them, too, that democratic society does not
necessarily lead to a leveling of culture so long as one does not
confuse political democracy with majority rule in cultural matters.
3.
From my answer to the last question,
I
think it is clear
that
I
am by no means as ready to write off Europe as the editors
of PR-at least
if
we may judge by this question, where they take
for granted that Europe is no longer "a cultural example and a
source of vitality."
I
am
unable to understand how they reached
these conclusions; perhaps by reasoning from Europe's economic
and political exhaustion and the rise of the United States as a world
power. But what has this to do with culture? Culturally speaking,
Europe can't be bankrupted so easily; it still has the capital of ten
centuries to draw on. And though the comparison is so banal that
I
hesitate to make it, and it has certainly been overworked by the
Europeans,
I
think nevertheless that the relation of Greece and
Rome had better be kept in mind.
Right now,
I
believe that the most exciting thought comes
from France and Germany (regardless of whether the Germans
are still physically in their country); the most exciting films, and
a vital literature as well, are being created in Italy; English poetry
is by no means moribund; and
if
I
were asked about the greatest
books published in recent years,
I
should name two German works
- Dr. Faustus
by Thomas Mann and
Das Glasperlenspiel
by Her–
mann Hesse.
