Is Naziismthe FinalStageof Capitalism? 137things.As it alsofunctionedin the realmof ideas,it servedto keepsciencewithinits
properlimits.. .”^37 The endgamefor Germanson the pathto enlightenmentwouldbe for
themto reach“Kant’s ‘pureideal.’”^38
It is tellingthatChamberlaincitedKantin suchan admittedlyirrationalclaim.Think
backto chapter3 whereinAbrahamFoxmanof the Anti-DefamationLeagueincorrectly
claimedthatEnlightenment-eraphilosophycouldbe properlyblamedfor the Nazis’
seeminglyscientificrationalizationsfor theirracism.Chamberlaindid indeedpaylip
serviceto sciencein deliveringhis rationalizations.Grantingthat,not onlywasthere
nothingscientificallyvalidaboutsuchrationalizations,but Chamberlainderidedhuman
reasonas congenitallyinadequate.FollowingKantandthe romantics,Chamberlainin-
sistedthathumanbeingsacquiredobjectiveconceptualknowledgeby meansotherthan
observationalrationality.Thathe is wronglyrememberedas an advocateof reason,when
he explicitlyadheredto fideism,is a commonalitythatChamberlainshareswithKant.
MossewritesthatChamberlainopenlyinvoked“mysticism.” Chamberlainhadbeenin-
culcatedwiththe “NewRomanticism,” and,in “the end,it wasthe mysticismthatwon
out,eventuallydoingviolenceto the scientificmethod.”^39 Giventhatinformation,it is
understandablethatChamberlainthoughtof himselfas a followerof GeorgHegelas
well.^40
As did Gobineau,Chamberlainreviledcommerce.AlthoughChamberlainconceded
thatentrepreneursexercisedgreatcreativityin theirquestfor profit,Chamberlain,in his
ownwords,deemedit essentialto carpthat “capitalism... causeshardships.. .”^41
I quotefromChamberlain’sFoundationsof the NineteenthCentury. Volume1 of this
workpronouncesthe usurychargedby Jewishmoneylendersto be “a parasiticcondi-
tion.... I hopewe willhearno moreof the nurserytale thatthe Jews...onlybecame
usurersin spiteof themselvesduringthe MiddleAges,becausetheywerecut off from
everyotheroccupation;if we readthe prophets” of the Bible“carefullywe shallsee how
oftentheycomplainof usury,whichservesthe richas a meansof ruiningthe peas-
ants.. .” Yes,he states,“Alreadyin ancientBabylon,” the Hebrewsimposed“the frightful
extractionof usury.. .” Andon intothe highMiddleAgesandRenaissance,royalty
foundthemselves“underthe thumbof Jewishusury,” an inarguably“shamefulusury.”
He sputtersmaniacallyoverthe Jews’ “greed” and “businesscunning.”^42
In hisPoliticalIdeals, ChamberlainapprovinglycitesKantas the sourcefor his attack
on rationalself-interest:“Kant.. .,” writesChamberlain,“forbadenot onlythat a manuse
anotheras a ‘means,’ but thatmanmaynot evenuse himselfso, maynot live in sucha
waythathis existenceremainswithouta highercontent.. .” ThisGerman-by-choice
writerproclaimsin his prosethat a personis duty-boundto “reachout beyondhis limited
ego and its interestsintothe surroundingwelfareof the community.... To use a person-
ality—no matterif it be one’s ownor another’s—merelyas a meansto the acquisitionof a
fleeting,egoisticgoal... is the sin, thatalone.”^43 Chamberlainrepeatsthe anti-capitalist
cliché thateveryperson’s existencecan be noneotherthana zero-sumgame,whereone
person’s gaininexorablyentailssomeoneelse’s loss.AndthenChamberlainquotesKant
to supportthat case:“Manmusteitherworkhimselfor othersfor him;and this workwill
rob othersof as muchof theirhappinessas he wishesto raisehis ownabovethe average.”
Andhe againquotesKant:“Manis indeedsufficientlyunholy.”^44
It is interestingto notethatKantdid not merelyprecedeChamberlainin his opposi-
tionto self-interest,but alsoin his anti-Semitism.YouwillrecallfromLife in the Market
EcosystemthatKantseemedpartiallypro-capitalistin thathe concededthatthe more
goodsand servicespeaceablyflowedbetweentwo liberalizedrepublics,the morediscou-
ragedthoserepublicsfelt fromwarringuponone another.Kantunderstoodthatentre-
preneursgenerallyfindit againsttheirinterestto havetheirprofitsbe taxedto financethe
invasionof othercountriesand the subjugationof theirpeoples.Nonetheless,Kantantici-