Decline of the West, Volume One - Oswald Spengler | Part 2, Reading & Discussion

Alright folks.

This will be the second edition in our exploration of Oswald Spengler and his 1918 text The Decline of the West: Form & Actuality. On a gloomy December Sunday, we will ask questions such as What is History? What is Nature? What is Number, what is Law, what is Progress, Extension, Distance, Destiny? The Thing-Become opposed to the Thing-Becoming? I dunno x10. But we're sure as hell gonna figure it out together.

For this session, we will be reading and discussing Chapter IV: The Problem of World History (II) and Chapter V: Makrokosmos (I). If you're reading the Arktos edition (which I recommend everyone do), this will be around 88 pages. This will be a lighter reading, as I know things get busier and time becomes speedier around the holidays.

Here are two free PDF versions of the text: One aaaaaaand Two.
All are the same translation from Charles Francis Atkinson so ultimately, it does not matter. Work with whatever works with you.

As always, if you're unable to complete the reading prior to our meeting, no worries - it's dense and semi-lengthy so we're just happy to have you and welcome whatever insights, critiques, questions, etc. you may have based on what you were able to read.

We will be meeting in the Ace Hotel lobby on W 29th. There is coffee, breakfast, and booze. Message me the day of if you can't find us. We usually sit toward the back of the lobby next to the bar.

As always, this group is open to newcomers to Spengler, novices of philosophy, history, aesthetics, etc., ragamuffins, ne'er-do-wells, urchins of all sorts, etc. All insights are encouraged, just be somewhat sensible and all the way cool. Ain't no fun to be found in nodding your head along with a thinker for a hundred pages - strive to disagree, with decency.

Alright, looking forward to it - again, reach out to me with any questions or concerns in the meantime.

Looking forward,

Hamp