Modern Age - Summer 2014 - 69

REVIEWS

freedom and helps others-those willing-
to find that freedom via the forest path. The
role of the forest rebel and the way of the forest path are open to all, as all humans have
an innate desire for freedom. But only a few
have the courage and conviction to purse it.
From Jünger's standpoint, the forest rebel
is a true aristocrat. He has overcome fear
and sacrifices even unto death to secure
this path for future ages. Jünger makes the
point that the origins of aristocracy lay not
in exploitation of people but in their protection "against monsters and demons." And
those monsters and demons remain alive in
modern totalitarianism.
Jünger asserts that a counter-reformation
is necessary, one feeding off and creating a
"mirror image" of materialistic nihilism.
And it is critical that art, philosophy, and
especially religion aid resistance. He believes
there is still a tremendous spiritual awareness in the modern world as witnessed by
the growing number of spiritual sects. Many
of these seekers will not come to established
churches, but Jünger sees churches as necessary to provide assistance.
Yet the churches cannot provide existence.
A person must achieve that for himself.
Jünger believes the individual and his sacrifice are essential to human existence because
sacrifice ultimately defines human freedom.
He cites the importance of individual sacrifice in history-in particular that of Socrates
and Jesus. "The trial of Socrates is never
ending."
To many modern American conservatives,
Jünger's ideas will seem elitist and eccentric,
even quaint. Furthermore, to implement
them would be foolish and counterproductive. For if conservatives abandon society for
the forest path and the rebel life, the enemy
will be able to monopolize all channels of
power. The forest rebels may escape, but the
masses will not. Defeat is almost assured.

Jünger would answer that the forest path
is not necessarily a physical removal from
society. It is metaphysical. Thus one can live
a practical life and still pursue a higher moral
and spiritual existence. Moreover, pursing
the forest path has its practical side. It is, in
fact, political realism. The spiritual life, the
life of virtue, is the ultimate reality. As such,
it is a real alternative to totalitarianism. And
change is possible if enough follow this path.
Thus defeat is not assured if a vocal and
persistent minority resists: "a tiny group of
resolved individuals can be dangerous," as
their will "can outweigh that of ten, twenty,
or a thousand men." One need only look at
how a small number of persistent Marxists,
feminists, and homosexuals have reshaped
Western society in the past few decades.
Charges of elitism against Jünger are not
untrue, but he is not an elitist in the modern
pejorative sense. He holds to the classical
and Christian ideal of the necessity of an
aristocracy, an aristocracy wedded to the life
of virtue. Jünger has noted elsewhere that
despite the modern rhetoric of inclusiveness, permissiveness, and tolerance there is
no place for true aristocracy or aristocratic
values in the modern world. His vision is a
restoration of those values.
To Jünger conservatism is inherently aristocratic, not bourgeois. Modern conservatives have adapted to the modern world, and
in doing so have adopted many bourgeois
(liberal) ideas. This has had some practical
benefit by giving conservatives a political
voice-albeit a small one. But this accommodation also carries a price. It has obscured
the life of virtue and the core of conservative
ontology, which is spiritual.
One criticism that can be leveled against
Jünger is that his discussion and definition
of higher moral and spiritual values-those
to be sought on the forest path-remain
vague. He mentions Christianity and the
69

Modern Age - Summer 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Modern Age - Summer 2014