Oswald Spengler

Oswald Spengler was a German philosopher and historian who developed a cyclical model of the rise and fall of civilizations. He argued that every culture has a predetermined lifespan and passes through stages of growth and decay. He applied his theory to eight major cultures, including the Western or "Faustian" culture, which he predicted would enter a phase of decline in the 20th century. Spengler's work was widely read and debated in his time, especially after the First World War, and influenced many intellectuals and political movements. He also wrote on topics such as art, mathematics, science, politics, and religion. He was a critic of democracy, liberalism, socialism, and pacifism, and advocated for a form of "Prussian socialism" that would preserve the values and traditions of German culture. He died of a heart attack in 1936 at the age of 55.