The Golden Calf In The Desert

From the mid-to-late19th century onwards, the western society saw tremendous crisis of modernity. According to Max Weber, the traditional authority had lost its legitimacy facing the disenchantment of the world. Both Monarchy and Theocracy were on the wane after the Age of Enlightment, which on one hand brought freedom and liberty to the modern society, but on the other hand caused the collapse of spiritual pillars. Therefore, the crisis of modernity left a trauma, moulding the modern world into a "Vaterlose Gesellschaft (Fatherless Society)". Does this mean that we are finally free? Nietzsche once claimed that God is dead. But Freud replied that the Law still exists, we are still under control of the Law.After W WI, the Germans were seeking a hero to save their once prosperous empire. Unfortunately they found Hitler, who disguised himself as a Messiah. Along with him they also found totalitarianism. Among the various solutions to escape from this "’Fatherless" predicament, the idea of a totalitarian state was originally formulated to save the modern crisis, especially the economic depression in the late1920s and the spiritual dilemma as well. Yet Nazi Germany had triggered the most disastrous calamity since the dawn of human civilization.Although the horrifying nightmare of Nazi may finally be over now, the violence of mass culture is still haunting us. Mass culture claims to be symbol of freedom and equality, but consumerism and mass media conform to the Law of the modern society and worship capital as a new god. Therefore, we are still far away from being truly free. But there is no need to feel desperate when facing the severe reality, the future salvation may lie in the theory of anti-humanism.