The concept of History in Oswald Spengler

Author(s)

Augusto Patrini Menna Barreto Gomes

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2014-03-12

Examining board members

Sara Albieri; Julio Cesar Bentivoglio; Jose Antonio Vasconcelos

• Advisor: Sara Albieri

Abstract

The following essay investigates Oswald Spenglers theoretical concepts about history, which were published in his book The Decline of the West (Der Untergang des Abendlandes). It reflects about his implications for the matter of the historical knowledge constitution. In this investigation of theoretical nature, not only the concept of history, but the concepts of culture, civilization, life, decline and State are important. These concepts are understood through his main theoretical text and least popular books, such as Prussiandom and Socialism (Preußentum und Sozialismus) (1920). The work of Oswald Spengler, The Decline of the West (1918/22), is an imbricated historical essay which gathers in its content, areas such as economics, politics, mathematics, art and culture, in order to discuss them through a historical point of view. This research aims at the spenglerian concept of history, its relationship with the German identity issue, and the necessity of an amount of German intellectuals to deny the progress and science. Since the moment Sturm und Drang, these intellectuals had been denying the objective sciences and the Enlightenment principles, searching for anti-illuminist alternatives for History, philosophy and sciences. It is in this movement that Oswald Spenglers attempt to establish the operating way of the decline in Historys structure enrolls, just like his attempts to deny illuminists political and philosophical principles. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/04821-0 - History theory and intellectual dialogues in The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler
• Grantee: Augusto Patrini Menna Barreto Gomes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master