s08e12 | New World Disorder: Understanding Multipolarity, with Constantin von Hoffmeister

In 'Submission', Michel Houellebecq presents a dystopian vision of France in 2022 where an Islamic party, led by the moderate Ben Abbas, comes to power in an alliance with the Socialists. The novel follows François, a middle-aged literature professor at the New Sorbonne University, who is an expert on J.K. Huysmans. As Islamic law is instituted, François is offered academic advancement on the condition that he converts to Islam. The book delves into themes of personal decadence, the decline of Western civilization, and the complexities of human happiness through submission. It is a darkly comic masterpiece that blends realism and fantasy, prompting reflections on the current cultural climate of the West and the validity of its liberal, atheistic project.

Le roman suit Florent-Claude Labrouste, un ingénieur agricole dépressif sous antidépresseurs, qui fuit Paris pour la Normandie. Il y découvre une campagne dévastée par les politiques agricoles européennes et des agriculteurs en révolte. Mêlant humour noir, critique sociale et scènes provocatrices, Houellebecq dépeint une Europe en crise existentielle, où la quête de bonheur individuel se heurte à l'effondrement des structures sociales.

In 'The Last Tsar', Edvard Radzinsky provides a detailed and poignant account of the life and final days of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. The book explores the Romanov family's happier times and their tragic end, drawing from previously hidden diaries and letters. Radzinsky also examines the circumstances surrounding the execution of the tsar and his family in 1918, shedding light on historical mysteries.

In 'Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed', Jared Diamond examines the collapse of past societies, such as the Anasazi, the Maya, and the Norse colonies on Greenland, due to factors like environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of trading partners, and the society's response to these challenges. Diamond argues that environmental concerns are crucial to a society's success and that the way a society responds to its environmental problems is often the decisive factor in its survival or collapse. The book also draws parallels between historical collapses and current global issues, offering practical lessons and solutions to avoid similar catastrophes in the present and future.

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.

Faust, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a two-part dramatic work that tells the story of a scholar named Faust who, dissatisfied with his life and seeking infinite knowledge and power, makes a pact with Mephistopheles, the Devil's representative. Part I focuses on Faust's despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his tragic love affair with Gretchen, which ends in her downfall. Part II is more allegorical and symbolic, following Faust through various experiences, including his life at court and his encounter with Helen of Troy, before his eventual salvation through God's grace and the intercession of Gretchen. The work is renowned for its blend of lyric, epic, dramatic, operatic, and balletic elements, and its exploration of theological, mythological, philosophical, and cultural themes.