Issue #51

Abstract: This excerpt is the third chapter from Frank’s book “The Downfall of Idols,” first published in Berlin in 1924. The book originated from a speech given by the philosopher at a congress of Russian students in Germany (Sarow near Berlin) in May 1923. Frank reflects on the collapse of faith in European “culture” as an unshakable foundation of progress. Influenced by the experience of World War I, the revolution, and the post-war crisis, the philosopher shows how the external attributes of civilization (technology, parliamentarism, science, art) lose their charm, revealing inner emptiness and lack of spirituality. The downfall of the “idol of culture” becomes part of a deeper religious crisis, demanding a reassessment of all values and a search for genuine, spiritual foundations of life.