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Faust (of Part 1, Part 2): *

Faust part 1 is subjective; proceeded entirely from a perplexed, impassioned individual & his semi-darkness.  It is a highly personal experience, portrays the "small world" of inner experience.  In Part 2 there is little that is subjective; we see a higher, broader, clearer, more passionless world.  It looks at society as a whole, the world of social institutions, ideological systems & intellectual institutions.  The 2 parts are elements of a single whole; their relationship is indirect & metaphorical.  They are alternative views of the human yearning for truth & fulfilment by exploring different aspects of this same problem.  Faust develops from a single individual into a symbolic figure who represents the striving spirit of man in the modern world.  This distinction between the 2 parts of the poem has been compared to the medieval philosophical conception of the microcosm and macrocosm; both sections mirror different aspects of the same philosophical theme.

Decline of the West, Chapter X:  Soul Image & Life Feeling (2) Buddhism, Stoicism & Socialism 
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