Oswald Spengler Biography

Oswald Spengler was a renowned German historian and philosopher. He was keen on studying science, mathematics, and art, and their relation to the cyclical theory of history. His book, ‘The Decline of the West’ (Der Untergang des Abendlandes), covered the entire world history and was a major contribution to social theory. According to Spengler, any culture is a superorganism that has a limited and predictable lifespan. He also asserted that the spirit of a culture could not be transferred to another culture. Based on his thoughts and studies, Spengler predicted that by the year 2000, “Western Civilization would enter the period of pre-death emergency.” He also stated that countering this crisis would lead to Caesarism before Western Civilization’s eventual collapse. Spengler is believed to have been a nationalist and anti-democracy. He was a prominent member of the Conservative Revolution, but he chose to denounce Nazism, mainly due to its excessive racist views. Despite his criticism, he often saw people like Italian leader Benito Mussolini and entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes as growing examples of the upcoming “Caesars of the Western culture.” After the rise of Hitler, Spengler chose to live in isolation until his death.