The forest rebel is that individual who, isolated and uprooted from his homeland by the great process, sees himself finally delivered up for destruction. This could be the fate of many, indeed of all—another factor must therefore be added to the definition: this is the forest rebel’s determination to resist, and his intention to fight the battle, however hopeless. The forest rebel thus possesses a primal relationship to freedom, which, in the perspective of our times, is expressed in his intention to oppose the automatism and not to draw its ethical conclusion, which is fatalism. Considered in this manner, it becomes clear what role the forest passage plays, not merely in the thoughts but also in the reality of these years. Everyone finds themselves trapped in a predicament today, and the attempts we see to hold this coercion at bay resemble bold experiments upon which a far more significant destiny depends than that of those who have resolved to risk the experiment. A gamble of this kind can only hope to succeed if the three great powers of art, philosophy, and theology come to its aid and break fresh ground in the dead-end situation.
- Ernst Jünger, The Forest passage
Isolated and uprooted. This is the position many of us find ourselves in today. We can relate in a very real sense with Jünger’s description of the forest rebel. We feel that we are unwelcome in modernity, that our identity is dangerous and that it is itself in danger. The “great process” is nothing less than the leveling which has taken place in the 20th and now 21st century, a leveling demanded by the mechanisms and presuppositions of liberal democracy.
In this world, the individual stands out as a beacon of hope, a witness that all is not lost. But maintaining one’s individuality is not easy in a world where the individual has been isolated and uprooted, and where his identity has been stripped from him. How can we resist the forces of destruction and to fight the seemingly hopeless battle? How do we escape fatalism, a more sinister force than nihilism? How do we forge our own destiny and avoid getting caught up in the great process taking place before our very eyes?
Jünger gives us the archetype of the forest rebel, who takes the forest passage, and who taps into the great powers of art, philosophy, and theology. It is no longer possible to “conserve” that which is already dead, nor can we merely act as reactionaries in a world that seems to delight in baiting out reactions from us. No, we must break new ground and plunge through the forest passage, even if what lies ahead is unclear.
This blog is dedicated to this project, and to the cultivation of the forest rebel and to the facilitation of a broader rebellion against modernity and against the forces of our time which ultimately deliver us up to utter destruction. It seeks to enter into dialogue with art, philosophy, and theology in order to “break new ground” and allow the individual to overcome the isolation and the uprootedness that threatens him. It aims to better understand the thought of Ernst Jünger and other writers who may be of service to the forest rebel in going down the forest path. It is also, admittedly, the outlet of the author to analyze the situation we find ourselves in, and offer insights into how we may respond, or not respond, to the world around us.
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