Kraftwerk - Das Model

Kraftwerk - Das Model: After thirty years, Kraftwerk's "Das Model" is still a popular song, and not just in electronic music circles. In fact, metal groups like Rammstein have covered the song, as well as alternative groups like The Cardigans. Even so, the song is considered by many to be a harbinger in the genre of electronic music. Much like The Beatles' song "Hello Goodbye," this song speaks to how human beings perceive one another. And for that reason, "Das Model" is highly existential in its overall tone. The lyrics talk of how a model has to quickly change her entire disposition whenever there is a camera present. She has to contain a split personality in order to survive the brutally critical world of modeling. She is deeply self-conscious about her appearance and overly self-confident in her talents; a contradiction in outlooks to say the least. Yet the ability of the model to straddle both her personal world and the modeling world is precisely what attracts the singer to her. What's ironic here is that whenever Kraftwerk performs the song, they are in the spotlight just as models are. As a result, the band itself has to adjust to being viewed by hundreds, if not thousands, of pairs of eyes all at once. Certainly, that kind of pressure makes one question the true extent of his or her capabilities.

The Conscience of an Atheist

The Conscience of an Atheist: Is the human conscience fundamentally opposed to atheism? It's difficult to see how a rational person could devote full attention to both his conscience and atheistic outlook. The human conscience is, at bottom, wholly oriented toward God. To be clear, every person is naturally endowed by God with a conscience. Like ideas and words, the human conscience has evolved. The question then becomes whether each individual chooses to utilize his conscience. In choosing not to utilize his conscience, man embarks on a basic separation from God. And it's precisely this separation which pushes man to develop ardent beliefs in the material world. Yet atheists believe in more than just matter. They believe in time, energy, mortality, and rationality. To suggest that theists do not hold these beliefs as well is simply ludicrous. Even so, Article 20 of the Catholic Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope) states, "Favoring this doctrine [atheism] can be the sense of power which modern technical progress generates in man." This statement effectively captures the origins of atheism; the Industrial Revolution. In short, without God, there would be no atheists, because (a.) He would not have been there to create them in the first place, and ( b.) there would be no One for the atheists to oppose.

Heinrich von Kleist and German Romanticism

Heinrich von Kleist and German Romanticism: As one of the most prodigious authors in the literary genre of German Romanticism, Kleist often lived in the shadows of bigger names like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. He constantly felt pressure to write short stories and perform plays at his very best, especially since most of his critics seemed to express a perpetual disregard for his works. Probably his two most reputable works include Penthesilea (1808) and The Marquise of O (1808). One of Kleist's favorite literary techniques involved the insertion of an anachronistic idea into a historical situation, which could leave the reader both bemused and intrigued. In fact, Mark Twain adopted this technique to write A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889). Above all, Kleist's work epitomized not only class consciousness and misogyny in the Napoleonic Era, but also a distinct penchant for Counter-Enlightenment thinking. In a series of philosophical pamphlets such as On the Gradual Production of Thoughts Whilst Speaking, Kleist advocated the idea of acting before thinking, which certainly qualified as both anti-intellectual and hyper-romantic at the same time.

Mark Twain: American Cynic

Mark Twain: American Cynic: Twain, whose birth name was Samuel Clemens, once said that "No one but the dead have free speech." Through his notebook, which was published posthumously in 1935, one can peer into the mind of probably the most cynical American literary in the nineteenth century. Some people consider his work to be quite humorous while others find it somewhat troubling. Either way, Twain had a knack for systematically dissecting whatever was most common in American folkways and laying them out for all to see their true colors. Any conventional pattern of behavior or quirky mannerism that held some peculiar value in American society was up for criticism and scrutiny from Twain. Perhaps Twain's staunch cynicism was precisely what drove his literary genius forward. It was undoubtedly the prime catalyzing force behind his 1873 satirical play entitled The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today whereby he sought to expose the vast extent to which avarice had infected postbellum America. In a way, Twain was a true activist. Even though his cynicism was what encouraged him to act in many instances, he certainly did possess the proper intentions when attacking a particular social stigma. And given that Twain lived in what was possibly the most dynamic period of change in American culture, one can better understand his avid skepticism. With so much change, there was bound to be those who doubted and scrutinized; Twain simply made a living out of it.

Edgar Allan Poe and Poetry

Edgar Allan Poe and Poetry: The man for whom the word "poetry" is named; well not exactly, but it's an interesting coincidence nonetheless. Along with German existentialist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Poe qualifies as one of the most "insane" writers of the nineteenth century. And it was this insanity which helped him produce some of the most brilliant pieces of writing in the modern literary world. For starters, his poem entitled A Dream within a Dream is eerily similar in content and context to that of Die achte Elegie (The Eighth Duino Elegy) by German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and yet, Poe's poem came about seventy years prior. Both poems are wonderful examples of how poets possess the keen ability to trace the gods, and thus, build a bridge between the world of mortality and that of the hereafter. In a sense, one must be able to read Poe and realize that his language is highly theosophical. That is, it contains a vibrant mix of both theological and philosophical sentiments. For instance, in his epic "prose poem" entitled Eureka, Poe seeks to formulate a comprehensive understanding of the universe through a wide variety of intuitive suggestions. Think of it as a massive plate of food for thought. Even so, Poe's food is apparently quite tasty, as there is a plethora of scholars dedicated to studying his works.