Some of the first figures the Nazis conscripted in their rise to power were rhetoricians devoted to popularizing the German vocabulary of Leben (life). This fascinating study reexamines this movement through one of its most prominent exponents, Ludwig Klages, revealing the philosophical-cultural crises and political volatility of the Weimar era.
Catastrophic scenarios dominate our contemporary mindset. Catastrophic events and predictions have spurred new interest in re-examining the history of earlier disasters and the social and conceptual resources they have mobilized. The essays gathered in this volume reconsider the history and theory of different catastrophes and their aftermath. The emphasis is on the need to distance this process of reconsideration from previous teleological representations of catastrophes as an endpoint, and to begin considering their „operative“ aspects, which unmask the nature of social and political structures. Among the essays in this volume are analyses, by leading scholars in their respective fields, concerning the role of catastrophes in theology, in the history of industrial accidents, in theory of history, in the history of law, in „catastrophe films“, in the history of cybernetics, in post-Holocaust discussions of reparations, and in climate change.
A microhistory of the Zionist utopian project, its broader theoretical debates, and its struggles through the idea of melancholy for democratic opposition or dissent.
Ludwig Klages and the Rise of a Nazi Biopolitics
Focusing on Ludwig Klages, this study delves into the role of rhetoricians in the Nazis' rise to power, highlighting their efforts to reshape the German vocabulary around concepts of life. It explores the philosophical and cultural crises of the Weimar era, illustrating how language and rhetoric influenced political dynamics during a time of significant upheaval. The analysis sheds light on the complex interplay between language, ideology, and the sociopolitical landscape of early 20th-century Germany.