The 56th thesis of Friedrich Nietzsche’s book “The Gay Science” (nothing to do with homosexuality of any kind) reads,
“When I think of the craving to do something, which continually tickles and spurs those millions of young Europeans who cannot endure their boredom and themselves, then I realise that they must have a craving to suffer and to find their suffering in a probable reason for action, for deeds. Neediness is needed.”
In a recent conversation, I was asked for my thoughts on what the main motivation for a cultural revolution amongst the young generation would be if it were to come, I explained that the driving force would be monotony.
Previously, generations have been marked by a passion to see a tearing down of restrictive cultural barriers. For example, the first modern revolution, The French Revolution, was caused by the tyrannical reign of the monarchy and the Catholic Church in France who imposed high taxes and unjust laws on the people. Cultural movements between then and the 1920s were fueled by the perceived need for less restrictive boundaries on moral issues (see the paintings and writing produced in America and Europe in those years.) In America, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of a revolution based upon this second ideal – his opus magnum being ‘The Great Gatsby,’ a novel about a generation gone to the dogs because of their rebellion. The 1960s produced the post-beatnik movement famous for cultural icons such as Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, The Beatles, Andy Warhol etc. The 60s revolution was a sexual and political one, rooted in civil disobedience and the civil rights movement.
We could continue in this strain.
Since the beginning of the French Revolution that we have just discussed, there has been a breakdown of what we could call the ‘social norm.’ That is to say, culture based upon morality.
I was born in the late 80s. My generation is a product of the lawless lifestyle of our ancestors. We no longer have taboos. If we desire to marry someone from the same-sex, it is legal in many places. If we want to sleep around, we are permitted to do so ‘as long as no-one gets hurt.’ But we have very little further to go on the road of ‘emancipation’ from moral values.
Let us consider a theoretical future revolution.
There is no point in denying the parallel course of artistic culture and revolutionary culture – where there is revolution, there is art of some form produced that is characteristic of revolution. So instead, let us briefly consider some possible courses our future revolution:
a) We go further in breaking down the ‘social norm’
If this were to be the case, then looking at the course of previous revolutions, and taking note of their sexual nature, we may surmise that the next revolutionary movements will aim for complete freedom of the right to marriage – homosexual, bestial, familial, paedophilic.
b) We go back towards purity
In the event that a revolutionary movement arises that is focused on a spiritual and moral restoration, we should see to it that a ‘Kingdom moral code’ is instituted as opposed to the authoritarian one that we saw previous to the French Revolution, where people lived in fear of free thought because of Church reprisals rather than living in a reverent fear of God.
In its current state, our society is primed for a change as a product of the boredom that Nietzsche described. We need a fascination – our generation is very much in need of a passion that surpasses the revolutionary spirit that was present in previous generations because our task is so much greater. Our goal is to go against the very nature of fallen man (which other revolutions did not seek), and to pursue the Heart of God for the establishment of His kingdom in the hearts of this Generation while He tarries.
We pray that our revolution would be based upon things which ‘cannot be shaken,’ so that it is never undone or equalled.
Let us close with a quote by the Christian revolutionary Rudi Dutschke,
“Jesus is risen. The decisive revolution in world history has happened – a revolution of all-conquering love. If people would fully receive this revealed love into their own existence, into the reality of the ‘now’, then the logic of insanity could no longer continue.”
© Marc Thomas for Voice of Revolution, 2009. | Permalink