On Bangev

AulIov|s) Evnsl Jngev

Bevieved vovI|s)
Souvce Nev Oevnan Cvilique, No. 59, SpeciaI Issue on Evnsl Jungev |Spving - Sunnev, 1993),
pp. 27-32
FuIIisIed I New German Critique
SlaIIe UBL http://www.jstor.org/stable/488221 .
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On
Bangev*
Evnsl
Jiingev
Anong
lIe
signs
oJ
lIe
epocI
ve Iave nov enleved
IeIongs
lIe in-
cveased inlvusion oJ
dangev
inlo
daiI
IiJe. TIeve is no accidenl con-
ceaIing
ilseIJ IeIind lIis Jacl Iul a
conpveIensive cIange
oJ
lIe innev
and oulev vovId.
We see lIis
cIeavI
vIen ve venenIev vIal an
inpovlanl
voIe vas
assigned
lo lIe
concepl
oJ
secuvil
in lIe
Iouvgeois epocI jusl pasl.
TIe
Iouvgeois pevson
is
pevIaps
Iesl cIavaclevized as one vIo
pIaces
secuvil anong
lIe
IigIesl
oJ
vaIues and conducls Iis IiJe
accovdingI.
His
avvangenenls
and
sslens
ave dedicaled lo
secuving
Iis
space
againsl
lIe
dangev
lIal al
lines,
vIen
scavceI
a cIoud
appeavs
lo davI-
en lIe
sI,
Ias Jaded inlo lIe dislance.
Hovevev,
il is
aIvas
lIeve il
seeIs vilI eIenenlaI
conslanc
lo IveaI
lIvougI
lIe dans vilI vIicI
ovdev Ias suvvounded ilseIJ.
TIe
pecuIiavil
oJ lIe
Iouvgeois'
veIalion lo
dangev
Iies in Iis
pevcep-
lion oJ il as an ivvesoIvaIIe conlvadiclion lo
ovdev,
lIal
is,
as senseIess.
In lIis Ie navIs
IinseIJ
oJJll
Jvon olIev
Jiguves
oJ, Jov
exanpIe,
lIe
vavviov,
lIe
avlisl,
and lIe
cvininaI,
vIo ave
given
a
IoJl
ov Iase
veIa-
lion lo lIe eIenenlaI. TIus
IallIe,
in lIe
ees
oJ
lIe
vavviov,
is a
pvocess
lIal
conpIeles ilseIJ
in a
IigI
ovdev:
lIe
lvagic
conJIicl,
Jov lIe
vvilev,
is a
*Fivsl
puIIisIed
as OIev die
OeJaIv,
in Bev
geJdIvIicIe AugenIIicI.
Eine
SannIung
von
BiIdevn und
BevicIlen,
ed. Fevdinand BucIoIlz
|BevIin JunIev
and
BunIaupl, 1931)
11-
16. TvansIaled
I
BonaId Beneau.
EngIisI
lvansIalion
copvigIl
1993
I
lIe Univevsi-
l
oJ CaIiJovnia Fvess.
Bepvinled
vilI lIe Iind
pevnission
oJ KIell-Colla
? J.
C. Col-
la'scIe
BucIIandIung NacIJoIgev
OnIH,
Slullgavl.
TIis
essa
viII
appeav
in TIe
Weinav
BepuIIic
SouvceIooI,
eds. Anlon
Kaes,
Mavlin
Ja,
and Edvavd
BinendIevg
|BevIeIe
and Los
AngeIes
U oJ CaIiJovnia
F,
JovlIconing 1994).
27
28 On
Bangev
condilion in vIicI lIe
deepev
sense
oJl
IiJe
is lo Ie
conpveIended vev
cIeavI:
and a
Iuvning cil
ov one Iesel
I
insuvveclion is a
JieId
oJ
inlensiJied
aclivil
Jov lIe cvininaI. In luvn
Iouvgeois
vaIues
possess
jusl
as IillIe
vaIidil
Jov lIe
IeIieving pevson,
Jov lIe
gods appeav
in lIe
eIenenls,
as in lIe
Iuvning
IusI
unconsuned
I
lIe
JIanes.
TIvougI
nisJovlune and
dangev
Iale
dvavs lIe novlaI inlo lIe
supeviov spIeve
oJ a
IigIev
ovdev.
TIe
supvene povev lIvougI
vIicI lIe
Iouvgeois
sees
secuvil guav-
anleed is veason. TIe cIosev Ie Jinds
IinseIJ
lo lIe cenlev oJ
veason,
lIe nove lIe davI sIadovs in vIicI
dangev
conceaIs
ilseIJ
dispevse,
and
lIe ideaI condilion vIicI il is lIe lasI oJ
pvogvess
lo acIieve consisls oJ
lIe vovId doninalion oJ veason
lIvougI
vIicI lIe
veIIspvings
oJ lIe
dangevous
ave nol
neveI
lo Ie nininized Iul
uIlinaleI
lo Ie dvied
up
aIlogelIev.
TIe
dangevous
veveaIs ilseIJ in lIe
IigIl
oJ veason lo Ie sense-
Iess and
veIinquisIes
ils cIain on
veaIil.
In lIis vovId aII
depends
on lIe
pevceplion
oJ lIe
dangevous
as lIe
senseIess,
lIen in lIe sane no-
nenl il is
ovevcone,
il
appeavs
in lIe nivvov oJ veason as an evvov.
TIis can Ie denonslvaled
evevvIeve
and in delaiI vilIin lIe inleI-
IecluaI and acluaI
avvangenenls
oJ lIe
Iouvgeois
vovId. Il veveaIs ilseIJ
al
Iavge
in lIe endeavov lo see lIe
slale,
vIicI vesls on
IievavcI,
as so-
ciel,
vilI
equaIil
as ils
JundanenlaI
pvincipIe
and vIicI is Jounded
lIvougI
an acl oJ veason. Il veveaIs
ilseIJ
in lIe
conpveIensive
eslaI-
IisInenl oJ an insuvance
sslen, lIvougI
vIicI nol
onI
lIe visI oJ
Joveign
and doneslic
poIilics
Iul aIso lIal oJ
pvivale
IiJe
is lo Ie uni-
JovnI
dislviIuled and lIus suIovdinaled lo veason. Il veveaIs ilseIJ
JuvlIev
in lIe
nan
and
vev enlangIed
eJJovls lo undevsland lIe
IiJe
oJ
lIe souI as a sevies oJ causes and eJJecls and lIus lo venove il Jvon an
unpvediclaIIe
inlo a
pvediclaIIe
condilion,
lIeveJove lo incIude il
vilIin lIe
spIeve
in vIicI consciousness IoIds
sva.
In lIis sense lIe
secuving
oJ
IiJe
againsl
Jale,
lIal
gveal
nolIev oJ
dangev, appeavs
as lIe
lvuI Iouvgeois pvoIIen,
vIicI is lIen nade
suIjecl
lo lIe nosl divevse econonic ov Iunanilavian soIulions. AII
JovnuIalions oJ
queslions
al
pvesenl,
vIelIev
aeslIelic, scienliJic,
ov
poIilicaI
in
naluve,
nove in lIe diveclion oJ lIe cIain lIal conJIicl is
avoidaIIe. SIouId conJIicl nevevlIeIess
avise,
as
cannol, Jov
exanpIe,
Ie ovevIooIed in
vegavd
lo lIe
pevnanenl
Jacl oJ vav ov
cvininaIil,
lIen aII
depends upon pvoving
il lo Ie an evvov vIose
vepelilion
is lo
Ie avoided
lIvougI
educalion
ov
enIigIlennenl.
TIese evvovs
appeav
Jov lIe soIe veason lIal lIe
Jaclovs
oJ lIal
gveal equalion
- lIe vesuIl
Evnsl
Jiingev
29
oJ vIicI Ias lIe
popuIalion
oJ lIe
gIoIe Ieconing
a
uniJied,
Junda-
nenlaII good
as veII as
JundanenlaII
valionaI,
and lIeveJove aIso
JundanenlaII
secuve
Iunanil
- Iave nol
el
acIieved
genevaI
vec-
ognilion.
FailI in lIe
pevsuasive
lovce
oJ
lIese
vievs
is one oJ lIe veas-
ons lIal
enIigIlennenl
lends lo oveveslinale lIe
povevs given
lo il.
One oJ lIe Iesl
oIjeclions
lIal Ias Ieen vaised
againsl
lIis vaIualion
is lIal undev sucI civcunslances IiJe vouId Ie
inloIevaII Ioving.
TIis
oIjeclion
Ias nevev Ieen oJ a
puveI
lIeovelicaI naluve Iul vas
appIied
pvaclicaII I
lIose
oung pevsons
vIo,
in lIe
logg
davI
oJ
nigIl,
IeJl
lIeiv
pavenlaI
Ione lo
puvsue dangev
in
Anevica,
on lIe
sea,
ov in lIe
FvencI
Foveign Legion.
Il is a
sign
oJ
lIe doninalion oJ
Iouvgeois
vaIues
lIal
dangev sIips
inlo lIe
dislance,
Jav
ava
in
TuvIe,
in lIose Iands
vIeve
peppev gvovs,
ov vIevevev lIe
Iouvgeois
IiIes lo
depIove evev-
one nol
conJovning
lo Iis slandavds. Fov lIese vaIues lo
disappeav
enliveI,
Iovevev,
viII nevev Ie
possiIIe,
nol
jusl
Iecause
lIe
ave
aIvas
pvesenl
Iul aIove aII Iecause lIe Iunan Ieavl is in need nol
onI
oJ
secuvil
Iul oJ
dangev
loo. Yel lIis desive is
capaIIe
oJ
veveaIing ilseIJ
in
Iouvgeois sociel onI
as
pvolesl,
and il indeed does
appeav,
in lIe
Jovn oJ vonanlic
pvolesl.
TIe
Iouvgeois
Ias
neavI
succeeded in
pev-
suading
lIe advenluvous Ieavl lIal lIe
dangevous
is nol
pvesenl
al
aII.
TIus do
Jiguves
Iecone
possiIIe
vIo
scavceI
dave lo
speaI
lIeiv ovn
supeviov Ianguage,
vIelIev lIal oJ lIe
poel,
vIo
conpaves
IinseIJ lo
lIe
aIIalvoss,
vIose
povevJuI vings
ave
nolIing
nove lIan lIe
oIjecl
oJ a ledious
cuviosil
in a
loveign
and vindIess
envivonnenl,
ov lIal
oJ
lIe Iovn
vavviov,
vIo
appeavs
lo Ie a
ne'ev-do-veII
Iecause lIe Iile oJ
a
sIopIeepev
JiIIs
Iin vilI
disgusl.
CounlIess
exanpIes
couId sIov
Iov in an eva oJ
gveal secuvil an pvoJilaIIe
IiJe viII
depavl
Jov
lIe
dislances
snIoIized I slvange
Iands, inloxicalion,
ov dealI.
In lIis sense lIe vovId vav
appeavs
as lIe
gveal,
ved IaIance Iine
undev lIe
Iouvgeois
eva,
lIe
spivil
oJ vIicI
expIained
- lIal
is,
IeIieved
ilseIJ
capaIIe
oJ
invaIidaling
- lIe
juIiIalion
oJ
lIe voIunleev
vIo veIconed lIe vav
I allviIuling
lo Iin eilIev a
palviolic
evvov ov
a
suspecl
Iusl
Jov
advenluve.
FundanenlaII,
Iovevev,
lIis
juIiIalion
vas a
vevoIulionav pvolesl againsl
lIe vaIues oJ lIe
Iouvgeois
vovId:
il
vas a
vecognilion
oJ Jale
as lIe
expvession
oJ lIe
supvene povev.
In
lIis
juIiIalion
a vevaIualion oJ aII
vaIues,
vIicI Iad Ieen
pvopIesied
I
exaIled
spivils,
vas
conpIeled
aJlev an eva lIal
sougIl
lo suIovdi-
nale Jale lo
veason,
anolIev loIIoved vIicI sav veason as lIe sevvanl
oJ lale. Fvon lIal nonenl
on, dangev
vas no
Iongev
lIe
goaI
oJ a
30 On
Bangev
vonanlic
opposilion:
il vas valIev
veaIil,
and lIe lasI oJ lIe
Iouvgeois
vas once
again
lo vilIdvav Jvon lIis
veaIil
and
escape
inlo lIe
ulopia
oJ
secuvil.
Fvon lIis nonenl
on,
lIe vovds
peace
and ovdev Iecane a
sIogan
lo vIicI a veaIev novaIe vesovled.
TIis vas a vav lIal nol
onI
nalions Iul lvo
epocIs
conducled
againsl
eacI olIev. As a
consequence,
IolI viclovs and
vanquisIed
exisl Ieve in
Oevnan.
Viclovs ave lIose
vIo,
IiIe
saIanandevs,
Iave
gone lIvougI
lIe scIooI oJ
dangev. OnI
lIese viII IoId lIeiv ovn in a
line
vIen nol
secuvil
Iul
dangev
viII delevnine lIe ovdev oJ IiJe.
FveciseI
Jov lIis
veason, Iovevev,
lIe lasIs lIal ovdev nusl
acconpIisI
Iave Iecone nucI nove
conpveIensive
lIan
IeJove:
lIese lasIs Iave lo Ie
pevJovned
vIeve
dangev
is nol lIe
exceplion,
Iul is
conslanlI pvesenl.
As an
exanpIe
oJ
lIis lIe
poIice
Jovce
nigIl
Ie nenlioned. Il Ias lvansJovned
ilseIJ
Jvon a
gvoup
oJ civiI sevvanls
inlo a
Jovnalion
lIal
aIvead gvealI
vesenIIes a
niIilav
unil.
LiIevise lIe vavious
Iavge pavlies acInovIedge
lIe need lo
adopl
neans oJ
povev
lIal
expvess
lIe lacl lIal lIe
IallIe
oJ
opinions
viII nol
Ie decided
soIeI lIvougI
voles and
pvogvans
Iul aIso
I
lIe slaIvavls
connilled lo navcI in
suppovl
oJ
lIose
pvogvans.
SucI Jacls ave in
no
va
lo Ie isoIaled and
vegavded
as a
lenpovav
ov lvansienl
cIange
in lIe
poIilicaI Iandscape.
Nov can lIe incIinalion lo
dangev
Ie ovev-
IooIed in inleIIecluaI
endeavovs,
and il is unnislaIaIIe lIal nev Jovns
oJ lIe voIcanic
spivil
ave al vovI. FIenonena IiIe nodevn alonic
lIeov, gIaciaI cosnogon,
lIe inlvoduclion
oJ
lIe
concepl
oJ
nulalion
inlo
zooIog
aII
poinl cIeavI, conpIeleI apavl
Jvon lIeiv lvulI
conlenl,
lo Iov
slvongI
lIe
spivil
is
Ieginning
lo
pavlaIe
oJ
expIosive
evenls. TIe
Iislov
oJ invenlions aIso vaises evev nove
cIeavI
lIe
queslion
oJ vIelIev a
space
oJ aIsoIule conJovl ov a
space
oJ
aIsoIule
dangev
is lIe
JinaI
ain conceaIed in
lecInoIog. ConpIeleI apavl
Jvon
lIe civcunslance lIal
scavceI
a
nacIine,
scavceI
a science Ias
evev exisled vIicI did nol
JuIJiII,
diveclI
ov
indiveclI, dangevous
Junclions in lIe
vav,
invenlions IiIe lIe aulonoIiIe
engine
Iave aI-
vead
vesuIled in
gvealev
Iosses lIan
an
vav,
Ie il evev so
IIood.
WIal
especiaII
cIavaclevizes lIe eva in vIicI ve Jind
ouvseIves,
inlo vIicI ve enlev nove
deepI
vilI
evev passing da,
is lIe cIose ve-
IalionsIip
lIal exisls Ielveen
dangev
and ovdev. Il
na
Ie
expvessed
in lIis
va dangev appeavs neveI
as lIe olIev side oJ ouv ovdev. TIe
vIoIe is nove ov Iess
equivaIenl
lo ouv
inage
oJ lIe
alon,
vIicI is ul-
levI
noIiIe and
ullevI
conslanl. TIe secvel conceaIed vilIin is a
Evnsl
Jiingev
31
nev and diJJevenl veluvn lo
naluve:
il is lIe Jacl lIal ve ave sinuIla-
neousI
civiIized and
IavIavic,
lIal ve Iave
appvoacIed
lIe eIenenlaI
vilIoul
Iaving
sacviJiced lIe
acuil
oJ
ouv consciousness. TIus does lIe
palI lIvougI
vIicI
dangev
Ias
penelvaled
ouv
IiJe
pvesenl
ilseIJ as lvo-
JoId.
Il Ias inlvuded
upon
us Jivsl oJ aII oul
oJ
an avena in vIicI naluve is
sliII nove vilaI.
TIings,
lIe IiIes
oJ
vIicI veve
onI possiIIe
in SoulI
Anevica,
ave nov JaniIiav lo us. TIe dislinclion is lIal
dangev,
Jvon a
vonanlic
dinension,
Ias in lIis
va
Iecone veaI.
SecondI,
Iovevev,
ve ave
sending dangev
IacI oul ovev lIe
gIoIe
in a nev
Jovn.
TIis nev
Jovn
oJ dangev appeavs
in lIe cIosesl conneclion
Iaving
Ieen nade Ielveen eIenenlaI evenls and consciousness. TIe eIenenlaI
is elevnaI as
peopIe
Iave
aIvas
Jound
lIenseIves in
passionale slvuggIe
vilI
lIings,
aninaIs,
ov olIev
peopIe,
as is lIe case
loda.
TIe
pavlicuIav
cIavaclevislic oJ ouv
eva, Iovevev,
is
pveciseI
lIal aII lIis
lvanspives
in
lIe
pvesence
oJ lIe nosl acule consciousness. TIis
Jinds
expvession
aIove aII in lIe civcunslance lIal in aII oJ lIese conJIicls lIe nosl
poveviuI
sevvanl
oJ consciousness,
lIe
nacIine,
is
aIvas pvesenl.
TIus does
Iunanil's
elevnaI
slvuggIe
vilI lIe eIenenlaI naluve
oJ
lIe
sea
pvesenl
ilseIJ in lIe
lenpovaI
Jovn
oJ a
supveneI conpIicaled
necIanicaI conlvivance. TIus does lIe IallIe
appeav
as a
pvocess
duving
vIicI lIe avnoved
engine
noves
JigIling
nen
lIvougI
lIe
sea,
ovev
Iand,
ov inlo lIe aiv. TIus does lIe
daiI
accidenl
ilseIJ,
vilI
vIicI ouv
nevspapevs
ave
JiIIed,
appeav neavI excIusiveI
as a calas-
lvopIe
oJ
a
lecInoIogicaI lpe.
Beond
aII lIis lIe vondev oJ ouv
vovId,
al once soIev and
dange-
vous,
is lIe
vegislvalion
oJ
lIe nonenl in vIicI lIe
dangev lvanspives
-
a
vegislvalion
lIal is noveovev
acconpIisIed
vIenevev il does nol
capluve
Iunan consciousness
innedialeI, I
neans oJ nacIines.
One needs no
pvopIelic
laIenl lo
pvedicl
lIal soon
an given
evenl viII
Ie lIeve lo see ov lo Ieav in
an given pIace. AIvead loda
lIeve is
IavdI
an evenl
oJ
Iunan
signiJicance
lovavd vIicI lIe
avliJiciaI
ee
oJ civiIizalion,
lIe
pIologvapIic
Iens,
is nol divecled. TIe vesuIl is
oJ-
len
picluves
oJ
denoniacaI
pvecision lIvougI
vIicI
Iunanil's
nev
veIalion lo
dangev
Iecones visiIIe in an
exceplionaI
JasIion.
One Ias
lo
vecognize
lIal il is a
queslion
Ieve nucI Iess
oJ
lIe
pecuIiavil
oJ
nev looIs lIan
oJ
a nev
slIe
lIal naIes use
oJ
lecInoIogicaI
looIs. TIe
cIange
Iecones
iIIuninaling
in lIe
invesligalion
oJ lIe
cIange
in
looIs lIal Iave
Iong
Ieen al ouv
disposaI,
sucI as
Ianguage. AIlIougI
ouv line
pvoduces
IillIe in lIe
va oJ
Iilevaluve in lIe oId
sense,
nucI
32 On
Bangev
oJ
signiJicance
is
acconpIisIed lIvougI oIjeclive vepovls
oJ
expevience.
Ouv line is
pvonpled I
Iunan need - vIicI
expIains, anong
olIev
lIings,
lIe success oJ vav Iilevaluve. We
aIvead possess
a nev
slIe
oJ
Ianguage,
one vIicI
gvaduaII
Iecones visiIIe
Jvon
undevnealI lIe
Ianguage
oJ lIe
Iouvgeois epocI.
TIe
sane, Iovevev,
is lvue oJ ouv
slIe aIlogelIev:
il is veniniscenl oJ lIe Jacl lIal lIe aulonoIiIe vas
Jov
a
Iong
line conslvucled in lIe Jovn oJ a Iovse-dvavn
coacI,
ov lIal
a
vIoII
diJJevenl
sociel
Ias
aIvead Iong
since eslaIIisIed
ilseIJ Ie-
nealI lIe suvJace oJ
Iouvgeois sociel.
As
duving
lIe
inJIalion,
ve con-
linue
Jov
a line lo
spend
lIe usuaI
coins,
vilIoul
sensing
lIal lIe
vale
oJ
excIange
is no
Iongev
lIe sane.
In lIis
sense,
il
na
Ie said lIal ve Iave
aIvead pIunged deepI
inlo
nev,
nove
dangevous
veaIns,
vilIoul ouv
Ieing
conscious
oJ
lIen.
S
Bavid
Tvend,
Execulive Edilov
Ediled
I
CoIIeclives in lIe
San
Fvancisco
Ba
Avea and Boslon
TaIe a IooI al lIe
vange
oJ
lopics
SB is
coveving loda
EnvivonnenlaI FoIilics
BoIevl OollIieI on IaIov and envivonnenlaI
gvoups
Mavc BavnovsI
on envivonnenlaI
IisloviogvapI
Ton AlIanasiou on lIe EavlI Sunnil
Oiovanna BiCIivo on envivonnenlaI
juslice
novenenl'
SuIscviplion pvices
$28
individuaIs, $65 inslilulions.
SingIe
IacI
issues
$16. FIease add
$8 Jov
poslage
oulside lIe U.S.
BuIe
Univevsil
Fvess
JouvnaIs Bivision,
Box
90660, BuvIan,
NC
27708-0660