Thomas Mann’s Path, Part III: Back to the Early Romantics and Kantian Dignity

Abstract

Abstract This chapter documents in detail two phases in Thomas Mann’s thinking about dignity and duty. In its first phase, Mann’s thinking was expressed in chauvinist terms that claimed that Germany’s autocratic Reich and World War I position had a basis in Kant’s philosophy. In 1922, however, political chaos led Mann to defend the new German republic. His defense invoked a genuinely Kantian notion of dignity and duty while appealing to the writings of Novalis as well as Walt Whitman and the example of the United States. This appeal has perplexed scholars, but the chapter argues that Mann’s position is an appropriate expression of his enlightened philosophical trajectory. In conclusion, the chapter notes that, despite Mann’s significant work in behalf of democracy and the fight against Fascism, there remained ambiguities in Mann’s attitude, and his excessive admiration for Nietzsche’s style of writing illustrates a serious general weakness in post-Kantian culture.