Spengler's civilization model

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Oswald Spengler's civilization model appears as three tables on a three-page-long folded sheet, placed after the Introduction to his Der Untergang des Abendlandes: Gestalt und Wirklichkeit. The English translation, published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York in 1926 as The Decline of the West: Form and Actuality, carries these tables at the end of the volume. For their meaning and significance, see the main article.

Spiritual epochs

Phase	Indian from 1500 BC	Classical from 1100 BC	Arabian from 0	Western from 900
Spring Landscapely intuitive. Great creations of the newly awakened dream-heavy soul. Suprapersonal unity and fullness	Birth of a myth of the grand style expressing a new God-feeling. World-fear and world-longing
	1500–1200 BC Vedic religion Aryan hero-tales	1100–800 BC Hellenic-Italian "Demeter" religion of the people Homer Heracles and Theseus legends	1–300 Primitive Christianity (Mandaeans, Marcion, gnosis) Syncretism (Mithras, Baal) Gospels Apocalypses Christian, Mazdaist and pagan legends	900–1200 German Catholicism Edda (Balder) Bernard of Clairvaux, Joachim of Floris, Francis of Assisi Popular epos (Siegfried) Chivalric epos (Grail) Western legends of the saints
	Earliest mystical-metaphysical shaping of the new world-outlook. Zenith of Scholasticism
	Preserved in the oldest parts of the Vedas	Oldest (oral) Orphic, Etruscan discipline After-effect: Hesiod, cosmogonies	Origen († 254), Plotinus († 269) Mani († 276), Iamblichus († 330) Avesta, Talmud, patristic literature	Thomas Aquinas († 1274) Duns Scotus († 1308) Dante Alighieri († 1321) Meister Eckhart († 1329) Mysticism Scholasticism
Summer Ripening consciousness. Earliest urban and critical stirrings	Reformation: internal popular opposition to the great springtime forms
	10th–9th century BC Brahmanas, oldest elements of the Upanishads	7th century BC Orphic movement Dionysiac religion Religion of Numa Pompilius	Augustine of Hippo († 430) Nestorianism (ca. 430) Monophysitism (ca. 450) Mazdak (ca. 500)	Nicolaus Cusanus († 1464) Hus († 1415), Savonarola, Karlstadt, Luther, Calvin († 1564)
	Beginning of a purely philosophical form of the world-feeling. Opposition of idealistic and realistic systems
	Preserved in the Upanishads	6th–5th century BC The great pre-Socratics	6–7th century Byzantine, Jewish, Syrian, Coptic and Persian literature	16–17th century Galileo Galilei Francis Bacon René Descartes Giordano Bruno Jakob Böhme Gottfried Leibniz
	Formation of a new mathematic conception of number as copy and content of world-form
	Missing	Number as magnitude (measure) Geometry, arithmetic Pythagoreans (from 540)	The indefinite number (algebra) Development not yet investigated	Number as function (analysis) Descartes, Pascal, Fermat (ca. 1630) Newton, Leibniz (ca. 1670)
	Puritanism. Rationalistic-mystic impoverishment of religion
	Traces in the Upanishads	Pythagorean Society (from 540)	Mohammed (622) Paulicians and Iconoclasts (from 650)	English Puritans since 1620 French Jansenists since 1640 (Port Royal)
Autumn Intelligence of the city. Zenith of rigorous conceptualization	"Enlightenment". Belief in the almightiness of reason. Cult of "Nature". "Rational" religion
	Sutras; Sankhya; Buddha; later Upanishads	Sophism (5th century BC) Socrates († 399 BC) Democritus († ca. 360 BC)	Mutazilite Sufism Ibrahim al-Nazzam Al-Kindi	Sensualism John Locke Encyclopedie Voltaire Jean Jacques Rousseau
	Zenith of mathematical thought. Elucidation of the world of numerical concepts
	Zero as a number	Archytas († 365) Plato († 346) Eudoxus († 355) (conic section)	Number theory Spherical trigonometry	Leonhard Euler († 1783), Joseph-Louis Lagrange († 1813) Pierre-Simon Laplace († 1827) (the infinitesimal problem)
	The great conclusive systems
	Idealism: Yoga, Vedanta Epistemology: Vaisheshika Logic: Nyaya	Plato († 346 BC) Aristotle († 322 BC)	Al-Farabi († 950) Avicenna († ca. 1000)	Goethe, Kant Schelling Hegel Fichte
Winter Onset of cosmopolitan civilization. End of crystallization of emotions into concepts. Life itself becomes problematical. Ethical-practical tendencies of a realized cosmopolitanism	Crystallized world-view. Cult of holistic understanding and emotionlessness
	Sankhya, Cārvāka (Lokoyata)	Cynics, Cyrenaics, last Sophists (Pyrrhon)	Communistic, atheistic, Epicurean sects of Abbasid times Brethren of Sincerity	Bentham, Comte, Darwin, Spencer, Stirner, Marx, Feuerbach
	Ethical-social ideals of life. Epoch of "nonmathematical philosophy". "Skepsis"
	Tendencies in Buddha's time	Hellenism Epicurus († 270 BC), Zeno († 265 BC)	Movements in Islam	Schopenhauer, Nietzsche Socialism, anarchism Hebbel, Wagner, Ibsen
	Inner completion of the world of mathematical concepts. The concluding thought
	(lost)	Euclid, Apollonius (ca. 300 BC) Archimedes (ca. 250 BC)	Al-Khwarizmi (800), ibn Qurra (850) Al-Karaji, Al-Biruni (10th century)	Gauss († 1855), Cauchy († 1857) Riemann († 1866)
	Degradation of abstract thinking into professional lecture-room philosophy. Compendium literature
	The "six classical systems"	The Academy, Peripatetics, Stoics, Epicureans	Schools of Baghdad and Basra	Kantianism Logic Psychology
	Spread of a final world-sentiment
	Indian Buddhism since 500	Hellenistic-Roman Stoicism since 200	The practical fatalism in Islam since 1000	The spread of ethical socialism from 1900

Artistic epochs

Phase		Egyptian	Classical	Arabian	Western
Precultural period Chaos of primitive expression forms. Mystical symbolism and naive imitation		Thinite period (3400–3000 BC)	Mycenian age (1600–1100 BC) Late Egyptian (Minoan) Late Babylonian (Asia Minor)	Persian-Seleucid period (500 BC–0) Late classical (Hellenistic) Late Indian (Indo-Iranian)	Merovingian-Carolingian era (500–900)
Culture Life history of a style formative of the entire outer being. Form-language of deepest symbolic necessity	Early period Ornamentation and architecture as elementary expression of the young world-feeling (the "primitives")	OLD KINGDOM (2900–2400 BC)	DORIC (1100–500 BC)	EARLY ARABIAN FORM-WORLD (Sassanid, Byzantine, Armenian, Syrian, Sabæan, "late classical" and "early Christian") (0–500)	GOTHIC (900–1500)
		Birth and rise. Forms sprung from the land, unconsciously shaped
		Dynasties IV–V (2930–2625 BC) Geometrical temple style Pyramid temples Ranked plant-columns Rows of flat relief Tomb statues	11th–9th centuries BC Timber building Doric column Architrave Geometric (Dipylon) style Burial urns	1st–3rd centuries Ritual interiors Basilica Dome Mosque Sarcophagus	11–13th centuries Romanesque architecture Gothic architecture Dome Stained glass
		Completion of the early form-language. Exhaustion of possibilities. Contradiction
		2320–2200 BC 6th dynasty End of pyramid and epic relief styles Bloom of archaic portraits.	8th–7th centuries BC End of Dorian and Etruscan styles Corinth Attica Greek mythology	4th–5th centuries End of Persian, Syrian, and Coptic arts Mosaic Arabesque	14–15th centuries Late Gothic and Renaissance Bloom and end of fresco and statue, from Giotto to Michelangelo Baroque Siena Nuremberg Panel painting from Jan van Eyck to Hans Holbein the Younger Counterpoint Oil painting
	Late period Formation of a group of urbanely exquisite arts in the hands of individuals (the "great masters")	Formation of a mature artistry
		2130–1990 BC 11th dynasty No trace of lost art	Completion of the temple (peristyle) Ionic order Polygnotus (460) Apollo of Tenea of Ageladas	Completion of the mosque (Hagia Sophia) Completion of the arabesque style (Mshatta facade)	Architectural painting from Michelangelo to Gian Lorenzo Bernini († 1680) Dominance of oil painting from Titian to Rembrandt († 1669) Rise of music from Orlande de Lassus to Heinrich Schütz († 1672)
		Perfection of an intellectualized form-language
		1990–1790 BC 12th dynasty Use of pylons in temple construction Labyrinth	480–350 BC Bloom of Athens Acropolis Rule of classical forms from Myron to Phidias Decline of fresco and clay painting (Zeuxis and Parrhasius)	7–8th centuries Umayyad dynasty Complete victory of featureless arabesque over architecture also	Rococo Musical architecture ("rococo") Reign of classical music from Bach to Mozart End of classical oil painting from Watteau to Goya
		Exhaustion of strict creativeness. Dissolution of grand form. End of style. "Classicism and romanticism"
		Confusion after about 1750	Alexander the Great The Corinthian column Lysippos Apelles	Harun al-Raschid (ca. 800) "Moorish art"	Classicist taste in architecture Second Empire Biedermeier Neoclassicism Ludwig van Beethoven Eugène Delacroix
Civilization Existence without inner form. Cosmopolitan art as a habit, luxury, sport, thrill. Rapidly changing fashions in art (revivals, arbitrary inventions, borrowings)		Modern art. "Art problems". Attempts to portray or to excite the metropolitan consciousness. Transformation of music, architecture and painting into mere craft arts
		Hyksos period (1675–1550 BC). Preserved only in Crete (Minoan art)	Hellenism Pergamene art (theatricality) Hellenistic painting modes (veristic, bizarre, subjective) Archetictual display in the cities of the Diadochi	Sultan dynasties of 9th–10th centuries Prime of Spanish-Sicilian art Samarra	19th and 20th centuries Liszt, Berlioz, Wagner Impressionism from Constable to Leibl and Manet American architecture
		End of form development. Meaningless, empty, artificial, pretentious architecture and ornament. Imitation of archaic and exotic motives
		18th dynasty (1550–1328 BC) Rock temple of Deir el-Bahri. Colossi of Memnon. Art of Knossos and Amarna	Roman period (100 BC–100 AD) Indiscriminate piling of all three orders. Fora, theaters (Colosseum). Triumphal arches	Seljuks (since 1050) "Oriental art" of the crusade period	From 2000
		Finale. Formation of a fixed stock of forms. Imperial display by means of material and mass. Provincial craft art
		19th dynasty (1328–1195 BC) Gigantic buildings of Luxor, Karnak, and Abydos Small art (animal sculpture, textiles, arms)	Trajan to Aurelian Gigantic fora, thermae, colonnades, triumphal arches Roman provincial art (ceramics, statues, arms)	Mongol period (from 1250) Gigantic buildings (e.g. in India) Oriental craft art (rugs, arms, implements)

Corrections

German original	Alfred A. Knopf's 1926 edition	Current version	Comment
Lebensgeschichte eines das gesamte äußere Sein formenden Stils.	Life-history of a style formative of the entire inner-being.	Life history of a style formative of the entire outer being.	Äußer is "outer", not "inner"
Bildung einer Gruppe städtisch-bewußter, gewählter, von Einzelnen getragener Künste: "Die großen Meister"	(Formation of a group of arts urban and conscious, in the hands of individuals) ("Great Masters")	Formation of a group of urbanely exquisite arts in the hands of individuals (the "great masters")	Städtisch-bewußt means "urbane", not "urban and conscious". Gewählt means "exquisite"
Weltstadtkunst als Gewohnheit, Luxus, Sport, Nervenreiz.	Megalopolitan art as a common-place: luxury, sport, nerve excitement:	Cosmopolitan art as a habit, luxury, sport, thrill.	Weltstadt is "cosmopolis". Not every megalopolis is a cosmopolis
willkürliche Erfindungen	arbitrary discoveries	arbitrary inventions
Tierplastik	beast plastic	animal sculpture	The Egyptian plastic art includes relief sculptures of birds and arthropods. Therefore, in this instance, Tier means "animal", not "beast": Der Vogel ist ein Tier

Political epochs

Phase		Egyptian	Classical	Chinese	Western
Precultural period Primitive folk. Tribes and their chiefs. As yet no "politics" and no "state"		Thinite period (MENES) 3100–2600	Mycenaean age ("AGAMEMNON") 1600–1100	Shang period 1700–1300	Frankish period CHARLEMAGNE 500–900
Culture National groups of definite style and particular world-feeling ("nations"). Working of an immanent state-idea	Early period Organic differentiation of political existence. The first two estates—nobility and priesthood. Feudal natural economy	OLD KINGDOM 2600–2200	DORIC PERIOD 1100–650	EARLY CHOU PERIOD 1300–800	GOTHIC PERIOD 900–1500
		1. Feudalism. Spirit of countryside and countryman. The "city" only a market or stronghold. Chivalric-religious ideals. Struggles of vassals amongst themselves and against overlord
		Feudal conditions of IV and V dynasties (2550–2320 BC) Increasing power of feudatories and priesthoods. The pharaoh as incarnation of Ra	The Homeric kingship Rise of the nobility (Ithaka, Etruria, Sparta)	The central ruler (Wang) pressed hard by the feudal nobility	Roman-German imperial period Crusading nobility Empire and papacy
		2. Crisis and dissolution of patriarchal forms. From feudalism to aristocratic state
		VI dynasty (2320–2200 BC): Breakup of the kingdom into heritable principalities. VII and VIII dynasties: Interregnum	Aristocratic synoecism Dissolution of kingship into annual offices Oligarchy	934–904: I-Wang and the vassals 842: Interregnum	Territorial princes Renaissance towns. Lancaster and York 1254: Interregnum
	Late period Actualization of the matured state-idea. Town versus countryside: emergence of the Third Estate (bourgeoisie). Victory of money over barter
		MIDDLE KINGDOM 2150–1800	IONIC PERIOD 650–300	LATE CHOU PERIOD 800–500	BAROQUE PERIOD 1500–1800
		3. Fashioning of a world of states of strict form. Frondes
		11th dynasty Overthrow of the baronage by the rulers of Thebes Centralized bureaucracy-state	6th century The first tyrannis (Cleisthenes, Periander, Polycrates, the Tarquins) The city-state	Period of the "Protectors" (Ming-Chu 685–591) and the congresses of princes (–460)	Dynastic family-power, and Fronde (Richelieu, Wallenstein, Cromwell)—ca. 1630
		4. Climax of the state-form ("absolutism"). Unity of town and country ("state" and "society", the "three estates")
		1990–1790: 12th dynasty Strictest centralization of power Court and finance nobility Amenemhet, Sesostris	The pure polis (absolutism of the demos) Agora politics Rise of the tribunate Themistocles, Pericles	590–480: Chun-Chiu period ("Spring and Autumn") Seven powers Perfection of social forms (Li)	Ancien Régime. Rococo. Court nobility of Versailles. Cabinet politics. Habsburg and Bourbon. Louis XIV, Frederick the Great
		5. Break-up of the state-form (revolution and Napoleonism). Victory of the city over the countryside (of the "people" over the privileged, of the intelligentsia over tradition, of money over politics)
		1788–1680: Revolution and military government. Decay of the realm. Small potentates, in some cases sprung from the people	4th century: Social revolution and the second tyrannis (Dionysus I, Jason of Pherae, Appius Claudius the Censor) Alexander	480: Beginning of the Chan-Kwo period 441: Fall of the Chou dynasty. Revolutions and annihilation-wars	End of the 18th century: Revolution in America and France (Washington, Fox, Mirabeau, Robespierre) Napoleon
Civilization The body of the people, now essentially urban in constitution, dissolves into a formless mass. Cosmopolis and provinces. The Fourth Estate (the "masses")—inorganic, cosmopolitan		1. Domination of money ("democracy"). Economic powers permeating the political forms and authorities
		1675–1550: Hyksos period. Deepest decline. Dictatures of alien generals (Chian). After 1600, definitive victory of the rulers of Thebes	300–100: Political Hellenism. From Alexander to Hannibal and Scipio, royal all-power; from Cleomenes III and C. Flaminius (220) to C. Marius, radical demagogues	480–230: Period of the "contending states" 288: The imperial title. The imperialist statesmen of Tsin From 289, incorporation of the last states into the empire	1800–2000 19th century: From Napoleon to World War I. "System of great powers", standing armies, constitutions 20th century: Transition from constitutional to informal sway of individuals. Annihilation wars. Imperialism
		2. Formation of Caesarism. Victory of force-politics over money. Increasing primitiveness of political forms. Inward decline of the nations into a formless population, and constitution thereof as an imperium of gradually increasing crudity of despotism
		1580–1350: Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt Thutmose III	100 BC–100 AD: Sulla to Domitian Julius Caesar Tiberius	250 BC–26 AD: House of Wang-Cheng and Western Han dynasty 221 BC: Augustus title (Shi) of emperor (Hwang-ti) 140–80 BC: Wu-ti	2000–2200
		3. Maturing of the final form. Private and family policies of individual leaders. The world as spoil. Egypticism, mandarinism, Byzantinism. Historyless stiffening and enfeeblement even of the imperial machinery, against young peoples eager for spoil, or alien conquerors. Primitive human conditions slowly thrust up into the highly civilized mode of living
		1350–1205: Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt Sethos I Rameses II	100–300: Trajan to Aurelian Trajan Septimius Severus	25–320: Eastern Han dynasty 58–71: Emperor Ming of Han	after 2200

Corrections

German original	Alfred A. Knopf's 1926 edition	Current version	Comment
Organische Gliederung des politischen Daseins.	Organic articulation of political existence.	Organic differentiation of political existence.	"Articulation" means "jointing together", whereas Gliederung means "separation into parts", "differentiation"
Die beiden frühen Stande: Adel und Priestertum.	The two prime classes (noble and priest).	The first two estates—nobility and priesthood.
Feudalwirtschaft der reinen Bodenwerte	Feudal economics; purely agrarian values	Feudal natural economy	Wirtschaft is "economy", not "economics"
Auflösung des Königtums in Jahresämter	Dissolution of kinship into annual offices	Dissolution of kingship into annual offices
Die Stadt gegen das Land: Entstehung des Dritten Standes [Bürgertum].	Town versus countryside. Rise of Third Estate (Bourgeoisie).	Town versus countryside: emergence of the Third Estate (bourgeoisie).	"Rise" is unsuitable because it can mean just an improvement in status
Sieg des Geldes über die Güter	Victory of money over landed property	Victory of money over barter	In literal translation, "Victory of money over goods"
Sieg ... des Geldes über die Politik	Victory ... of money over policy	Victory ... of money over politics	A policy is a plan of action adopted by a government. The word "politics", in this context, denotes the policy-formulating aspects of government
Periode Tschun-tsiu ["Frühling und Herbst"] 590–480.	Chun-Chiu period (" Spring" and "Autumn"), 590–480	590–480: Chun-Chiu period ("Spring and Autumn")
Weltstadt und Provinz:	Megalopolis and provinces.	Cosmopolis and provinces.	Weltstadt is "cosmopolis". Not every megalopolis is a cosmopolis
Geschichtsloses Erstarren	History less stiffening	Historyless stiffening

References

External links

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