[Book Sip] The World Wars and the Birth of Modernity: 'The Rite of Spring'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a point of contact with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from the book. - Editor's note

This book introduces the history of war. However, it approaches from a different perspective than the traditional war histories that have focused on weapons, generals, tanks, organizations, and politicians. It brings unnamed soldiers to the forefront and examines the relationship between war and literature. The author weaves a narrative permeated by a single spirit by analyzing not only historical records but also various genres of contemporary arts such as dance, music, and literature.

Art possesses a religious power that uplifts life; it is realized through individuals but ultimately transcends the individual. It is truly a surrogate religion.

Like Nietzsche, Diaghilev believed that the autonomy of the artist and morality are mutually exclusive. He believed that those obsessed with morality?that is, socially acceptable behavior?can never be free, and like Gide, Rivi?re, and Proust, he believed that artists should disregard morality to gain the freedom of vision. Artists must be independent of morality. As often said in the avant-garde, morality is an invention of ugliness, that is, revenge of ugliness. Liberation toward beauty comes not through collective effort but through egotism, not through social work but through personal salvation.

Nevertheless, current evidence overwhelmingly shows that Germany systematically denied international standards the most. The reason Germany denied international rules of war was partly inevitable and partly because such standards were seen as harmful to Germany’s immediate interests, but mostly because Germans were less concerned with adhering to rules they considered alien and historical. They thought such rules could not apply to themselves at this very moment, which held immense significance. After the war, Germans blamed themselves for their propaganda capabilities being far inferior to those of the Allies, but the truth was that there was more basis for the Allies’ criticism of Germany than Germany’s criticism of the Allies. Germany’s appeal to ‘honesty,’ ‘frankness,’ and ‘truthfulness’ had a romantic and idealistic tone. It was an appeal to internal and private virtues. The Allies’ appeal was social, ethical, and historical. It was an appeal to external and public values.

Reality, a sense of balance, and reason were the main victims of war. Instead of imagination becoming a product of the world, the world became a product of imagination.

The Rite of Spring | by Modris Eksteins | translated by Choi Pa-il | Geulhangari | 592 pages | 29,000 KRW

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