Quack, Quack

Introduction

Quack, Quack! was written by Leonard Woolf in 1935 and expresses his views on fascism and the current state of governments in Europe. In it he condemns intellectuals such as Carlyle and Herr Sprenger for their influence on Hitler and Mussolini and their respective governments. Woolf places himself in opposition of Hitler and Mussolini by criticizing their fascist governments and their policies directly, but also through his criticisms of Carlyle's writings and stances on religion and racism in particular. It can be determined that he aligns himself more with the views of humanity that John Stuart Mill and Adam Smith take, and also with Mill's socialist leanings. Woolf examines language and religion as key determinants in influencing fascism.

Carlyle - Fascism

Carlyle:

• Scottish Calvinist
• believed in the necessity of Heroes and hero worship
• blamed the Jewish people for social problems without providing any real evidence
• conducted experiments to prove Jewish inferiority and drew conclusions from assumed ideas
• used hatred and bias to unite
• believed that lesser people needed guidance from their superiors to stay human, if not they would degenerate to animals

What Woolfe says about Fascism:

• relies on charismatic, emotional, passionate leader
• requires that people give up on rational thought and blindly accept the word of the state
• depends on people's primal urges

Smith/Mill branch

• analytical egalitarianism

• language is the indicator of civilization

• no difference between "street porter and philosopher"

• human difference is illustrated through human bestiality

• humans are humans because they trade

• greatest happiness principle- golden rule

• agreements with evangelicals- but secularized Christianity

• opposed Gov. Eyre's actions

Woolf's oppostion to Carlyle

• appropriation of religious facade

• racism for no reason- make conclusions about Jews

• language of so-called intellectuals (such as Sprenger and Keyserling) marks them as quacks

Woolf's agreements with Smith/Mill

• distrust of intellectuals

• language- quacks distort

References

• Peart, Sandra J., and David M. Levy. 2005. The "vanity of the philosopher". Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

• Woolf, Leonard. 1935. Quack, quack!.

• http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism