Abstract

The Glass Bees by Ernst Jünger was first published in Germany in 1957. It is a speculative fictional work that foretells much of what today is the reality of life in a technological society. Of particular import is his portrayal of the ambiguity of human character and moral guideposts that leave only power to mediate human relationships. These psychological and cultural symptoms can be traced to a society under the unremitting spell of the extension of technique. Headlines drawn from today demonstrate that the portrayal was not overstated.