Might is Right or the Survival of the Fittest
by Ragnar Redbeard
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ragnar RedbeardEditor: Darrell W. Conder
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-01
ISBN: 0972823301
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: Dil Pickle Press
Book Reviews of Might is Right or the Survival of the Fittest
Book Review: A philosophy for aspiring conquerors
Summary: 5 Stars
Redbeard enthusiastically expounds upon the doctrine of Might is Right. For example, only those who have the might to defend their rights deserve them. A man once commented that the book is uncomfortably true at times and that some of his friends found the book both odd and amusing, which is a good assessment. In the final end, it is force that decides human affairs. The book was written around 1897 and owes some ideas to Herbert Spencer's social Darwinism that had its own cult at the time and was an unscientific perversion of Darwin's theories. But still, the book has insightful opinions. There is something to offend nearly everyone in book and he is against nearly everyone and everything, except force, powerful Aryans, and possibly cannibalism.
Redbeard punches some of the more mawkish Biblical scriptures such as "turn the other cheek when someone strikes you" and "love thy neighbor". He declares that your neighbor is your enemy, who is always seeking to enslave you to the mediocrity of conformity and laws that keep from being a success. Conquerors make laws to keep the suckers and plebs in line. If he strikes you, strike back harder, or better yet, strike first. He also does not like the Jewish origins of the religion and the lowly Jew Jesus who was merely a carpenter who got crucified on a cross. He died without a shekel and left no unconquerable sons behind. While alive he wandered from town to town like a tramp spreading foolishness to a gullible population. He is hardly the conqueror that Redbeard would admire. What self respecting Aryan would follow the religion of his usurious enemies? He thinks that the Christian religion has taught the Aryan race to be submissive slaves instead of mighty warriors, which is the way of the Aryans. Like Nietzsche, he hates the slave morality of Christianity, which was originally most popular with the lower strata of society. To be a success, a man must be bold, assertive, and unmerciful as he goes for the gold. Are all men or races created equal? Certainly not! The superior always conquers, enslaves, and oppresses the inferior.
Life is all about war and constant conflict. A man must win his battles to come out on top. All the losers in life should perish. This is nature's way of keeping men in society strong, brave, and hearty. Soft, empathetic societies create a lot of weaklings and liars such as priests and politicians. Instead of crying about how hard things are, a man should celebrate warfare and fling himself into the frontlines with all his might. If you are going to kill, make sure you do it on a large scale, then people will praise you as a conquering hero and beautiful women will fall at your feet and beg you to let them reproduce as many unconquerable sons as possible. People who murder just a few people are considered lowly criminals. If you are going to steal, make sure you do it on a large scale, so people will think you are just a politician or tax collector. If you steal just a little and are stupid enough to get caught, then people will think you are a lowly street criminal. Successful criminals end up living lavishly in castles; stupid criminals end up rotting in the castle's dungeon. There is no right and wrong, only winning and losing, intelligence and stupidity, bravery and cowardice. Do not fear death, because fear of death is the beginning of cowardice. Besides, you shall reincarnate to either a better or worse birth depending on how heroically you lived your life.
Redbeard says that women are two thirds womb and the rest is just nerves and sentimentality. Men have the right to rule over them because men are superior and they must make sure that they not cuckolded. He loves women as long as they stay in their proper place. And a strong Aryan man will never let his offspring mix their blood with other races.
He wishes for a return to the heroic age and to get rid of the cowards that allow tyrants to rule over them. Royalty has also dissipated. In the old days, men became kings from being brave warriors, nowadays, leaders will declare wars, but will not lead the charge in battles. The rich and the elite have become weak because they will not defend their power or wealth by their own physical strength, and therefore do not deserve their wealth and power.
I had some arguments against his logic or lack thereof. He praises businessmen as being strong, but I really think that you have to be a slave to your clientele to be successful in business. Also, he is against tyrants, but it seems to me that he should think that the tyrant is the best specimen of humanity because of his amorality, power, cruelty, and cunning. The author also discounts the use of intelligence to attain great wealth with his brawn over brain arguments. For instance, Bill Gates appears to be a total nerd who would not last five minutes in hand to hand combat, but he is one of the richest men in the world. Redbeard praises lieutenants as the brave men that women want as opposed to intellectuals, but being the army is all about taking orders from above and is hardly a bastion of personal freedom. You become a slave for the good of the fighting unit.
Summary of Might is Right or the Survival of the Fittest
One would think that in our liberal, enlightened times a book dating from the Victorian Age would be viewed as a quaint curiosity. Not so Dr. Ragnar Redbeard's notorious Might Is Right or the Survivial of the Fittest. It is hated and denounced as much today as when it first made the rounds of the Victorian Age's elite and influential, which explains why the book is often featured on banned-book lists. Perhaps a 1905 ad for Might Is Right will give offer some insight: This is a pitiless and appalling book by an author of extraordinary virility and rugged primeval force, whose sense perceptions borders on the supernatural. Ten years ago private typewritten copies of this startling work sold in London and Berlin for $150. Since then the most powerful living minds have absorbed its teachings with satisfaction, but in guarded silence. Unquestionably it is the most pregnant and remarkable publication that has appeared in Christendom for 15 centuries. From its pages [Theodore] Roosevelt?s celebrated philosophy of ?Strenuousness,? ?Race Suicide? and ?the Big Stick? has been distilled and?diluted. Prince Bismarck, Paul Kruger and President McKinley read it in manuscript before they died; and it has given nerve and decisiveness to the world-shaking aggressive activity of men like Cecil Rhodes, Von Buelow, Chamberlain, Elihu Root, Kaiser William, Abdul Hamid and Von Phleve. It has also had its effect on General Castro, Admiral Togo, Senator Tillman, Grand Duke Sergius, Lord Kitchener, General Trepoff, and their ablest adversaries. Indeed it has influenced public opinion throughout the whole world by changing the thoughts and opinions of national leaders and editors in the most wonderful way. It positively alters the course of mens lives. It has affected the destinies of nations, races, religions. It has annihilated many popular Ideals hitherto believed sacred and impregnable. Nevertheless it is written as interestingly as any romance. Dr. Russell Wallace and Count Tolstoi criticize it in frank despair: and Bernard Shaw has written a drama (?Man & Superman?) with Redbeard?s thought as his theme: ? and its power over the more intelligent followers of Marx, Lasalle, Jaures, Hearst, Bebel, Bernstein, is beyond calculation. In fact this book is a veritable religious and political earthquake, marking the complete collapse of a false and depressing philosophy that has held sway for nearly 2,000 years. The thought in this book is positively startling. It thrills across the empires and republics like the wakening trump of a Warrior Archangel. It out Darwins Darwin; it out Spencers Spencer; and, compared to some of its splendid chapters the writings of Machiavelli are as the babble of a babe. ?Nothing is true? it declares, ?nothing is permanent; all things are open to you; the world is to the Strong; struggle is forever; they may take who have the power; they can keep who CAN.? The author proclaims himself a Messiah of Evolution; ? a re-incarnate Odin, whose mission it is to journey from nation to nation, and city to city, teaching and preaching the ancient, true, heroic and masculine Evangel of valor and gold. You cannot buy ?Might Is Right? in more than half a dozen book stores of the world; nevertheless it has been translated into four modern languages; and over 120,000 copies have been sold in this country and in Europe. Orders are received from the most distant nations of the earth. You never saw anything like it before in all your life. It condenses centuries of experience and whole libraries of current futilities and idolatries into half a dozen splendid epigrams, that ?once read can never be forgotten.? This is an unprecedented book ? an extraordinary book ? and YOU should read it ? then read it again, and lend it to your friends. Get its meaning into your nature, and (if your spirit is not broken) it will do to you what it has done to others; it will open your eyes; it will make a new man of you; it wiPhilosophy Books
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