Hitler: Bi-Winning

Ok, excuse the title as a pop culture reference to the hot mess that is Charlie Sheen. It's meant for fun more than anything else. But when it comes to, incoherent, outrageous ramblings, he's not far off from the subject of Mein Kampf: particularly in the spirit of "winning here and winning there."

It is really something to try to wrap my head around Hitler's various reasonings in support of his folkish/Aryan philosophy. Not just in trying to comprehend how anyone could put stock in such outrageous notions, but that he was able to argue his ideology on two particularly different levels that typically conflict with one another. I'm talking about the presentation of his argument in terms of a more 'religious/ungrounded' point of view versus a 'scientific/rooted' point of view that emerges throughout his book.

It seems at some points for Hitler, the superiority of the Aryan race stems from the will of God; that there is some sort of pre-destination in which the whole universe was meant to revolve around Germans. Hitler speaks of this notion as though it were an indisputable fact; perhaps a 'religious dogma' of sorts. Even his depiction of Jews as a sickness or disease, suggests a sort of metaphorical plague, which could certainly resound with those familiar with Biblical text. Additionally, it's arguable, that Hitler could win over more religious people with the idea that the German people need a savior of sorts to protect them from the evil influence of the Jew. Thus, it is interesting to explore a facet of Hitler's argument as appealing to religion (strictly Christian, of course).

But it can also be said that Hitler had a goal to seduce more scientific minds by incorporating Social Darwinism into his philosophy, as though it had been researched and proved that the Aryan race was biologically equipped to triumph over all other races. Also, as we discussed at the end of the recitation last week, Hitler had an understanding of the German nation as an organism; that could be made up of parts that ultimately served the function of the whole. This is obviously a more scientific perspective applied to politics.

Hitler also laid plenty of unfounded claims on a literal difference in racial make-up, specifically with the idea of blood. This is something that had both scientific and religious implications. Hitler at one point seems to be suggesting that a biological difference in the blood of races can lead to biological negative consequences in the mixing of blood. But he also points to this as symbolic proof of a more religious argument concerning the evil power of the Jews, which can be phrased simply to suggest that the Jews are so evil their blood can negatively impact the well-being of the German race.

And so even though these two factions of Hitler's arguments would certainly find intense, fact-based counter-arguments in today's society, it's fascinating to consider that Hitler was able to impress his philosophy effectively upon both scientifically and religiously minded people. This is not to suggest that there was an absolute distinct difference between those people, but historically speaking, science and religion are two aspects of society that usually have trouble intermingling. Yet Hitler negotiates them in Mein Kampf as though they went together seamlessly. Perhaps this is another reason he is able to gain popular support; by winning over the two seemingly different factions of science and religion.