Late Night Discourse - Homo homini lupus?

Homo homini lupus - a man is a wolf to another man. A quote of the leviathan, a book written by Thomas Hobbes and published in 1651 as one of the earliest social contract theories. It is very late and I am chronically sleep-deprived, but I just cannot get rid of that thought. That human nature was bad and the state of nature would be a war of all against all. These thoughts occur to me after thinking about the lecture ''From Neo Nazis to Jihadists'' and about our world. It is a very pessimistic approach, but thinking of extremism and how people alter into their own ''state of nature'', how Hobbes would call it. He was advocating the rule by an absolute sovereign, which is obviously not up to our times of democracy, at least as it seems to be.

One person who would take control and responsibility for everything. Sounds so easy. But Kant tought us to be autonomic, be responsible for our own actions, to be educated. So where is that spirit? Why are we allured so easily by theorys that give us the tunnel-vision? Or just a better feeling? I think all extremist ideas have something in common. They polarize, they look for a scape goat, they set off emotional reactions, they offer a community, they formulate rules, they enhance your feeling of strength, they provide orientation (or should I say navigation). Especially young people are vulnerable, because they are disorientated and still have to choose their own way. The content of the lecture of Dr. Saltman concentrated mainly on Islamic extremism, the recruitment of ISIS and the measures of preventing young people from becoming attracted or mobilized. So if the title of the presentation represented the task, she missed at least the half of the point of it. That is why I try to share the other half on my blog. My experiences with right-wing extremism.

In my class were some boys, who are from a village near my hometown Erlangen (Bavaria). Their opinions were sometimes very racist, but we could discuss it together and they have respected and liked me, because they knew me. My classmates education was determined by their parents, grandparents and their friends living in the same village. So no increased horizons before attending high school. They also told us of some of their friends, who were members in groups or fraternities at university (which also have often a right-wing reputation) that operated in the underground. The less immigrants live in a place, the more racism can be spread, because there is no direct contact to 'foreigners'. Such places could be the Bavarian villages or cities in East Germany. Nowadays, you can observe the increasing popularity of right-wing parties like the AfD (Alternative for Germany) or the NPD (National Party of Germany) as a trend in Europe.
Another European Country that cannot be considered as a democracy anymore (in my opinion) is Hungary. Enforced conformity is taking place, critics and journalists disappear mysteriously. The educated youth is trying to flee, because they see no future, no perspectives. Of course, a lot of people are also attracted by the extreme patriotism. The aim of Viktor Orban (the president of Hungary) is to make Hungary great again. Kind of reminds me of Trump.. So there is a lot more going on in the world.. Next to our doors in Europe, there are resentments that could unsettle the European Union we should not underestimate.

I am finally going to sleep now and am glad about the opportunity of such a great education that we Fulbrighters receive. Do not repeat, think on your own!