Chartbook 465 The Last of the Magicians: Thomas Mann, John Maynard Keynes and the Alchemy of Bourgeois Liberalism

In March 1932, renowned author Thomas Mann delivered a speech to commemorate the centennial of the death of his literary hero, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The speech, while reminiscent of contemporary discourse, was not authored by Keynes, despite initial appearances. The passage, often attributed to Keynes, showcases the aura of a famous intellectual and his influence on the middle class.

Mann, an esteemed member of the bourgeois class, passionately appeals to the educated middle class to embrace their innate potential for self-liberation and self-conquest in the face of a changing world. This resonates with the themes of Chartbook 463, exploring the parallels and differences between two prominent liberal intellectuals of the 1920s to 1940s.

Though no direct correspondence exists between Mann and Keynes, Mann's familiarity with Keynes's work, as evidenced by his diary entries, suggests a shared understanding of the era's intellectual climate.