This essayistic and autobiographical book combines Dahrendorf's personal experiences with sociological and political reflection and sees itself as a crystallization of insights in a confusing time.

 

Part 1: The Intellectual Has His Problems with Power

Dahrendorf describes the tension between science and politics. He describes how intellectuals oscillate between the two worlds and reflects autobiographically on his own "inside and outside" in government and academia. He contrasts political engagement with contemplative withdrawal, using Ernst Jünger as a model – with reflections on his own biography and the impact of public roles. He then discusses the role of the intellectual as a critical authority vis-à-vis power and analyzes the ambivalent relationship to political influence using the example of Raymond Aron. Finally, he discusses ethical action in political and social borderline situations – with references to historical figures such as Kant, Confucius, and Max Weber.

 

Part 2: ...seeks to understand the fragile course of time

Dahrendorf describes four fundamental crises of modern societies: the erosion of welfare, order, democracy, and security – as a critical complement to his earlier work "Opportunities of Crisis". He reflects on economic activity based on fictions – such as political rhetoric or symbolic management – ​​and their consequences for the reality of politics and the economy. He addresses social marginalization and the emergence of an underclass – with a focus on education, inequality of opportunity, and the social inheritance of disadvantage. He also addresses those actors who are freeing themselves from social constraints and traditional orders – critically analyzed in the context of neoliberal deregulation. He critically analyzes how democracy can maintain legitimacy in times of mass media and institutional exhaustion. Finally, he interprets key articles of fundamental rights in the German Constitution and places them in the context of freedom, dignity, and state obligation.

 

Part 3: ...suffers from his difficult fatherland

Dahrendorf then analyzes the history of German mentality using historical figures such as the 99-day Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm. He describes the work of a German resistance fighter – Julius Leber – and the importance of personal integrity in history. He reflects on the tension between origin, identity, and citizenship – from the perspective of a transnational intellectual. Finally, he examines Germany's historical burden and future viability in a divided and reunified Europe.

 

Part 4: ...and rediscovers all his questions in the world

In this concluding section, Dahrendorf broadens his perspective from Germany to the world. He combines personal reflection with a transnational, historical-philosophical analysis of modernity. The chapters are characterized by retrospective reflections and a determination of one's position in a global context. Firstly, he reflects on the complexity of history. He shows that there is no such thing as "the" past, but rather many competing narratives and cultures of remembrance. In doing so, he emphasizes the simultaneity of the non-simultaneous – how different historical experiences continue to have an impact alongside one another in the present. This is particularly noticeable in Europe's divided memory.

 

Dahrendorf compares two figures who symbolize different conceptions of social architecture. One represents a technocratic order, the other political design with an open outcome. It is a parable about two paths of social transformation: one rationalist and planning, the other evolutionary and geared toward democratic self-correction. Dahrendorf uses the image of a river to describe turning points in history. People usually only recognize the decisive moments in retrospect – and even then, it remains unclear how much control is possible. It is a meditation on historical contingency and the responsibility of the individual, even when the course of events often seems overwhelming.

For Dahrendorf, "revolution" is not a one-time event, but a permanent condition of modern societies. He analyzes the dynamics of social change as a constant questioning of existing orders. This "revolution without end" is both a source of progress and a source of uncertainty—a central characteristic of open societies.

 

Dahrendorf then examines the role of the United States as a global power and cultural role model. He praises the American social model as a project of freedom, but also warns against imperial overconfidence and ideological simplification. The "American question" is thus also a European one: How much America can or should Europe absorb? In conclusion, Dahrendorf reflects on his time at the London School of Economics—not just as an institution, but as a symbol of intellectual cosmopolitanism. For him, the LSE exemplifies the connection between science, democracy, and international exchange. Here, in a place of diversity and critical thinking, Dahrendorf finds many of his questions reflected in dialogue with the world.

 

Source:

Dahrendorf, R. (1984), Reise nach innen und aussen. Aspekte der Zeit, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt.