|
|
Eric Voegelin (1901 - 1985): Political Scientist and Philosopher of History
|
Even though his most important works are on intellectual history and
on the philosophy of history, Eric Voegelin primarily considered
himself a political scientist. He regarded it as his most
important task to revitalize the science of political order with
the help of an exegesis of classical religious and philosophical
scriptures. In Voegelin's opinion our knowledge of political
order should be based on an authentic experience of transcendence
fostered by the words of eminent philosophers and prophets; an
experience that has largely fallen into oblivion due to the
processes of secularization in modern times. Voegelin was firmly
convinced that the Western societies can only withstand the
temptation of totalitarian ideology by regaining a proper consciousness
of transcendent "reality".
In his early period (until 1938) Eric Voegelin tended to an
authoritarian conservativism, somewhat influenced by the ideals
of the circle around the sectarian german poet Stefan George.
Although Eric Voegelin was certainly not a democrat at this time,
his rejection of National Socialism must still be considered
as genuine. When Austria was unified with the German Reich in 1938,
Voegelin, who was then living in Vienna, had to flee from the Gestapo.
Together with his wife Lissy he emigrated to the U.S., where he found
a new home in Baton Rogue in Louisiana. His time in Baton Rogue
may justifiably be considered as the most important creative period in
Voegelin's life: It was during this period that the first three
volumes of "Order and History" originated and that Voegelin wrote
his programmatic "New Science of Politics".
Most important during this period is Voegelin's determined embracing
of Christianity and antique philosophy. Already in the 1930s
Voegelin had promoted a more or less mythological view of politics. In this
later period it is more and more the christian religion as well as a very
christian reading of the ancient greece philosophers that
provides the core of religious
"truths" for Voegelin's political philosophy. At the same time Voegelin
radicalizes his polemic against secularization in modern times, which
he holds to be responsible for the rise of totalitarianism. This may
sound somewhat naive, but still one must admit that the renaissance of
Christian ethics in post war Germany had a certain right of the time
on its side. After the outrageous crimes of National Socialism a
return to Christian values and to the Christian tradition was certainly
a very reasonable reaction. (The same would hold true for a return to the
values of enlightment; a fact that Voegelin, however, would have been very
hesitant to admit.) This taken for granted it remains more than
doubtful that the turning away from Christianity is a good scientific
explanation for the rise of totalitarianism, as Voegelin undoubtedly
believed it to be.
In 1958 Voegelin once more returned to Europe, where he teached Political
Science in Munich. When he went back to the U.S. after about one
decade, he had become quite outfashioned in Germany. That he can still
be counted to the mentors of the 1968 student revolt in Germany is
presumably due to the strong moralistic trait in his teaching as well
as the uncompromising manner with which he was talking about
Germany's totalitarian past in his lectures.
Voegelin died in 1985 in Palo Alto, California.
For an introduction into Voegelin's thinking, I can recommend
the Voegelin's "Autobiographical Reflections". It contains a very
understandable and easy to read description of the main themes of
Voegelin's (late) philosophy.
Further information on Eric Voegelin can be found on the website of the
Eric Voegelin Institute in Louisiana or at the
Eric Voegelin Archiv in Munich.
For myself, I have a very critical opinion about Voegelin's philosophy,
the reasons for which I have put down in detail in my paper on
Voegelin's philosophy of consciousness.
Have a look at it, if you like. (The paper is written in German!)
The most important points of my criticism of Voegelin
are summarized in
Chapter 3.5 and
Chapter 3.4.3 .
| 
