What Trump, Orbán, and Marine Le Pen Owe to a Norwegian Farmer: A Philosophical Essay on Growth of the Soil

Daniel Shilansky's essay examines Knut Hamsun's novel Growth of the Soil within the context of the philosophical debate over modern civilization's costs. It explores how the novel embodies a counter-Enlightenment critique emphasizing rooted, instinctual life, and how its formal structure enacts the Schiller problem of naïve versus sentimental consciousness. The analysis highlights the novel's attempt to depict a sacred, primordial relationship between humans and the land, contrasting it with the modern tendency toward reflection and alienation. The essay also considers the political implications of the vitalist tradition, illustrating its influence on contemporary nationalist movements exemplified by figures like Trump, Orbán, and Le Pen.