Existential Dimensions of War in Ernst Jünger’s Essay “War as Inner Experience”

Abstract

This article explores the existential dimensions of war as presented in Ernst Jünger’s essay “War as Inner Experience”. As a direct participant in World War I, Jünger centers his reflections on the protagonist’s (his own) personal engagement with the destructive phenomenon of war, which serves as a means for self-transformation and the integration of these experiences into a cathartic process. The study underscores that Jünger’s poetic portrayal of combat operates as an attempt to grapple with human existence in its most critical and extreme states. Invoking Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical concept of the “Übermensch”, the analysis posits that war gives rise to a new archetype of soldier – individuals who, through an ongoing process of existential transformation, adeptly navigate societal destruction and derive self-identification from their wartime experiences. Existential categories such as solitude, fear, anxiety, freedom, and faith are intricately woven into each chapter of Jünger’s work. The study further identifies key binary oppositional existential themes that form the conceptual core of Jünger’s narrative. These include the oppositions “Eros and Blood”, “The Trench and Pacifism”, and “Horror and Courage”, which reflect the author’s moral and philosophical contemplation of his wartime experiences. The dichotomy of “Eros and Blood” serves as a metaphor for the tension between the polarities of “life and death”. Blood is emblematic of the mortal violence inflicted upon the enemy, whereas Eros, by contrast, signifies the affirmation of life and a quest to reclaim vitality. Similarly, “The Trench and Pacifism” illustrates the gulf between the harsh realities of frontline existence and the utopian aspiration for peace. The trench becomes a symbol of dehumanization, while pacifism embodies the longing for a harmonious world. Lastly, Jünger’s existential pair “Horror and Courage”, forged through the crucible of war, captures a spectrum of emotional extremes. Horror immobilizes and disorients, whereas courage replenishes the inner resolve of the soldier, enabling decisive action. Through such oppositional binaries, Jünger constructs a conceptual framework in which war emerges as a transformative force, capable of forging a new human identity.