Thomas Mann, loyal party member of prophet of doom for the 'German ideology'? The relationship between literature and contemporary history in Thomas Mann's early works

This article investigates the philosophical position of Thomas Mann against the background of the conservative "Weltanschauung" which was predominant in the Second German Empire. The author points out that, in spite of striking connections between Thomas Mann's political thinking and the decisionist conservatism of authors like Junger and Schmitt, Thomas Mann's literary work is remarkably ambivalent on contemporary German conservatism. This is explained by referring to the concept of "literature as self-reflection". Thomas Mann's oeuvre shows typical elements which are connected to such 'self-reflection'. His whole oeuvre can be seen as a dialogue with the social and cultural habits of the German "grande bourgeoisie". This dialogue fluctuates between self-consciousness and self-criticism and underlines the ambiguity of Thomas Mann's political and philosophical positions.