ABSTRACT

There are two central aims to this chapter. The first is to provide a deeper understanding of how our avoidance of the “unconditional” leads to nihilism, which is one fundamental root that can grow into “fanatical” activity. The second aim is to demonstrate how our discussions, critiques, domestications, or pacifications of the violent fanatic oftentimes can be rather fanatical. This work is supported by an in-depth study of Karl Jaspers’ idea of “Unconditional Action” (Unbedingte Handlung), which presents an alternative (and counter-intuitive) solution to fanaticism as it stems from nihilism. Unconditional action concerns (A) a greater attunement to “limit phenomena” or border situations of transcendental experience; (B) taking our reasoning to its “conditioned” limits; and (C) acting in a way that occasionally is irreducible to a specific, telic purpose. The chapter then applies these insights to show that it is not our unconditional claims that make us fanatical, but precisely the opposite - their avoidance.