The Decline of the West

AUTHOR: Oswald Spengler, (1880-1936), was a German philosopher who acquired his conservative views from his father, a postal official in Germany. Spengler attended the Universities of Munich, Berlin and Halle in Germany, where he studied natural science and mathematics. In 1903, he wrote his dissertation on a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus, though he failed due to a lack of references. Spengler resubmitted his revised thesis in 1904, earning him his doctorate degree. Shortly after earning his degree, Spengler suffered a mental break down, secluding himself from the world. In 1906, he recovered and began working as a teacher in secondary schools until he received some money from his mother. In 1911, Spengler gathered his inheritance and moved to Munich as a private scholar.

While in Munich, Spengler’s poor health prevented him from joining the military, which fueled his desire to write a book. In 1918, he published the first volume of his book, The Decline of the West, followed by the second volume in 1922. In his books, Spengler stated that western civilization was coming to an end because, like the human life cycle, it had gone through the growth phase and was now on a steady decline towards death. He also compared the decline to other previous civilizations, such ancient Greece and Rome, stating that the end was necessary for a new culture to arise. His writings gave the German’s a sense of comfort because it allowed them to understand why the West was declining. Spengler’s fame escalated quickly after the books were published, creating his legacy.

Spengler was very pessimistic and also suffered from anxiety. He strongly felt that the end of Western civilization was closer then people imagined. This bias is ...

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...ad already fought molded them into stronger warriors, allowing for smaller armies. These soldiers would go on to fight for their country, preserving its mankind. The victorious nation would go on to create a new civilization and the cycle would begin again.

Works Cited

"Spengler, Oswald," International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 1968, Encyclopedia.com, (8 April 2014).

"Oswald Spengler," Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2004, Encyclopedia.com, (8 April 2014).

Ibid.

“Spengler, Oswald,” Ibid.

Ibid.

From: Oswald Spengler, The Decline of the West, 2 Vols., trans. Charles Francis Atkinson, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1922).

Ibid.

Ibid.

Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, (London: John Murray, 1859).

Oswald Spengler, Ibid.