Category Archives: History

Notes on Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Lee

The sun is shining and Berlin belongs to Hitler, is the almost final thought of Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin. Christopher catches his reflection in a shop window and is horrified to see that he is smiling: sunshine is still … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History, Literature | Tagged | 1 Comment

Spengler’s Logic of History

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Lee

Oswald Spengler tells us that he’s trying something new, a kind of historical study that he calls “predetermining history”: he’s going to use an historian’s methods in order to tell us something of what is going to happen. History is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Spengler | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Toynbee and the Enlightenment

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Lee

Arnold J Toynbee has some bad news in Volume VI of his A Study of History: Western civilisation is showing all the signs of being in its final decline. Civilisations decline when they fail to respond to challenges they face. … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History, Philosophy, Toynbee | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Decline according to Spengler

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Lee

Oswald Spengler tells us that Western civilisation is in decline. This doesn’t mean the end is nigh, this doesn’t mean the end of days. We have centuries left, and when civilisation as we (in the West) know it finally comes … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History, Literature | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Some notes on Spengler as I read him

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Lee

I’ve been slowly reading The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler with a couple of friends. We meet online once a week to discuss the pages we’ve read. What follows is an explanation of Spengler as I understand him … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Garden Pool

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Lee

(Painting from The Tomb of Nebamun, 18th Dynasty Egypt)   “Viewed from above, as if through the eyes of the gods” To the eyes of a god the world appears flat. The trees lie flat around the flattened pool, and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Reading Spengler Again

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Lee

This preface I’m reading says I shouldn’t be literal-minded when reading Oswald Spengler. Yes, his presentation of the facts is dubious, he exaggerates and distorts, he’s polemical – but I mustn’t let this spoil my enjoyment. I’d be missing out … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment