The Weaponry of the Modern World
Wagner begins by quoting an "important Jewish voice" that claims the modern world triumphs over orthodoxy through its unmatched cultural weaponry—namely the pen, now elevated to the status of global power. This power is harnessed, the voice claims, by the free-thinking Jewish and Christian intelligentsia who dominate journalism, literature, and public discourse. Wagner concedes the truth of this influence but positions himself to critically examine the nature and implications of such modern ascendancy, particularly as expressed through Jewish cultural participation in German society.
The “Modern” as Alien Appropriation
To Wagner, the so-called "modern world" represents not merely a temporal present but a rupture with tradition—an artificial construction that ignores historical continuity. He interprets modernity as a force alien to the organic development of German culture, especially as it is shaped by newly enfranchised groups such as Jews. Wagner argues that instead of contributing original culture, the Jewish intelligentsia appropriates the German heritage—particularly the language—without deep understanding, leading to what he describes as a falsification or degradation of cultural expression, exemplified in what he sees as the shallow style of Jewish-led journalism.
Young Germany and the Rise of Literary Mode
Wagner draws a historical line from the early 19th-century literary group "Young Germany" to the present "Moderns." This lineage, he claims, rebelled against Germany’s intellectual orthodoxy, rejected the Romantic legacy, embraced Parisian models, and gave rise to the popular press and mass-market literature. He views this movement as the precursor to what the “Moderns” now celebrate—a cultural trend he deems derivative, sensationalist, and disconnected from the earnest artistic striving of earlier German thinkers and poets.
Mode Without Originality
At the heart of Wagner’s critique is the idea that “the modern” lacks authenticity. He describes its influence as parasitic, thriving not through creative originality but by adopting the superficial trappings of culture and branding them as progressive. This modernism, in his view, trades genuine spiritual or intellectual depth for novelty and popular appeal. Particularly scathing is his claim that even the Jewish intellectual leadership lacks originality in wielding its pen-power, instead relying on borrowed plumes and fashionable trends.
Orthodoxy, Popularity, and the Danger of Shibboleth
Wagner is skeptical of the so-called “orthodoxy” the modernists seek to vanquish, suspecting the term itself is poorly understood. He speculates that it may refer to German traditions in science, philosophy, and the arts—what he calls the "orthodoxy of the German spirit." He warns against the modern cult of popularity, associating it with the Biblical word “Shibboleth,” used to distinguish friend from foe in a violent purge. This, he implies, is a dangerous metaphor for modern cultural battles, suggesting that linguistic or aesthetic nonconformity could become grounds for exclusion or erasure.
A Bitterly Facetious Conclusion
Wagner concludes with a dark pun: in German, “modern” can be construed as a verb meaning “to rot.” With this wordplay, he ironically defines modernity as a condition of cultural decay. His final jibe—"In prudence let the old go moulder; superior persons all are modern"—leaves no doubt as to his disdain for the self-satisfied superiority of the modern world’s new cultural elites.