Part 5 Summary and Analysis

"Thought at the Meridian - Rebellion and Murder"

The author begins this final section with commentary that society in general, and European society in particular are, at the time he's writing (the early 1950s) in a state of upheaval and confusion as the result of several acts of rebellion that transformed into revolution and have, in the process, justified murder. He writes that the theory and practice of murder have betrayed the spirit of rebellion, and that in and of itself, murder (individualized or systemic) destroys the spirit of unity (humanity united with and supportive of itself) in which rebellion begins.

"Nihilistic Murder"

In this section the author suggests nihilism defines murder as a manifestation of existence's essential pointlessness, while true, selfless rebellion sees murder as an aspect of the dehumanizing spirit of destruction it's rebelling against. The implication here is...