How to recognize a false ideal?

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There are true and original ideals and there are false ideals. It isn't easy to point out the differences between these, as you will see in the article below. When we study history we realize that many evil rulers got their power over people because they were able to inspire common citizens with ideals. At the end of this article i shall come to the question how it is possible to differentiate between true and false ideals.

Let us first examine some viewpoints that have made part of the philosophy of Adolf Hitler. All the quotes below are from Adolf Hitler.

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Warning for sexual liberties

We might think that it is a good ideal to warn for free sex, but see what Hitler said (i found these and all other quotes from Hitler here).

"Parallel to the training of the body a struggle against the poisoning of the soul must begin. Our whole public life today is like a hothouse for sexual ideas and simulations. Just look at the bill of fare served up in our movies, vaudeville and theaters, and you will hardly be able to deny that this is not the right kind of food, particularly for the youth...

Theater, art, literature, cinema, press, posters, and window displays must be cleansed of all manifestations of our rotting world and placed in the service of a moral, political, and cultural idea."

Desire for purified blood

Hitler wanted people with 'purified blood' and also thought that his ideals were coming from the Creator of the universe.

"What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the purity of our blood, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe."

References to God

Here is more proof that Hitler was not an atheist but thought himself to be a believer in God.

"...we must pray to the Almighty not to refuse His blessing to this change and not to abandon our people in the times to come."

And:

"Even today I am not ashamed to say that, overpowered by stormy enthusiasm, I fell down on my knees and thanked Heaven from an overflowing heart for granting me the good fortune of being permitted to live at this time."

All those fighting for a good cause are persecuted

Hitler uses the argument that those who do great work for the future will have to fight very hard and will go through persecution.

"For the greater a man's works for the future, the less the present can comprehend them; the harder his fight, and the rarer success."

The emphasis on religion

Hitler worked as a politician but he believed that religion was more important to reach his goals than politics.

"Verily a man cannot serve two masters. And I consider the foundation or destruction of a religion far greater than the foundation or destruction of a state, let alone a party."

Faith and strong determination is needed

"A man does not die for something which he himself does not believe in."

"Thus my faith grew that my beautiful dream for the future would become reality after all, even though this might require long years."

The importance of the spoken word

"But the power which has always started the greatest religious and political avalanches in history rolling has from time to immemorial been the magic of power of the spoken word, and that alone.

Particularly the broad masses of the people can be moved only by the power of speech."

What characterizes a false ideal?

Jim Walker, the writer of the article from which i quoted Hitler, emphasizes that Hitler could only come in power because of the support of Christian churches. Hitler spoke a language that was based on Christian thought.

So many times in history, evil rules who brought great empires under them wished two things: peace and unification. I mention only two examples from the many that could be given.

The Roman Empire was known for its Pax Romana, which was a period of relative peace established by Ceasar Augustus. It lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD. Of course, the peace of the Roman Empire could only be established after a period of military conquest that destroyed the overeignties of tribes and nations that were taken over by the Romans.

Also the Mongol Empire was known for the peace it brought after a period of conquest.

Most evil empires brought peace by unifying tribes and nations after having conquered them first. These tribes and nations often had ceased to exist.

So are peace and unification marks of a good ideal?

I doubt it very much. Peace and unification should be reached in complete freedom. Complete freedom can only be acquired when each individual can have an individual relationship to the Creator. Individuals should not be required to worship or submit to rulers above them. It is the individual conscience, the heart of love in each person that comes from having a personal relationship to God that must guide their actions.

When peace is reached by making friendship with evil governors, that kind of peace will not be lasting. Peace and unification always require that the ones who have evil aspirations must bow down or be defeated. They are not the ones to make friendship with.

When a powerful figure wants people to bow down for him, when he wants to be king or emperor over many or all, it shows that the ideals of such a person should not be trusted.

See also

• Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism