Recently film was discovered in a subbasement of the library of Congress in Washington DC.
These films had never been exhibited and had only been seen by the photography studio in Glendale, California that produced said films on behalf of the US Army Signal Corps and the Royal Canadian Film Corps.
Now, here for the first time, is seen living evidence of the 1948 Augsburg Philosophers Trials where philosophers were placed on trial for providing the foundational principles of Nazi Germany and infecting German youth with the spectre of National Socialism.
Here now, as a collaborative effort of the Hollywood film industry, Montreal Cinéma and the United States Army Signal Corps and the Royal Canadian Film Corps we bring to you a brief transcript of the Philosophers Trials.
Justice John Whitman, Crown Court of Assizes, Dominion of Nova Scotia:
“Herr Schlichtä, what was your role at the University of Augsburg in 1936?”
Schlichtä: “I was provost of the college of philosophy. I was also a professor in the department of philosophy.”
Did you know Häär Doktor Doktor Pareczenethy?
Jawohl!
In what capacity did you know him?
He was a distinguished senior professor of the College of Pholosophy. I replaced him on the Fifth of August 1935, pursuant to the law for the reform of the civil service.
And who passed this law, who proposed this law?
Adolf Hitler, the master of Germany.
Did you understand at the time that this law had no legal, ethical or moral basis in its promulgation due to the illegal seizure of power after the burning of the Reichstag?
In hindsight, I must say it is rather clear that the law had no legal foundation having been promulgated on a fallacious basis. There was no legal basis for the seizure of such power under German law.
You carried out these orders and you replaced Pareczenethy?
What was your previous relationship With Pareczenethy?
Pareczenethy believed that in popular use, nihilism commonly refers to forms of existential nihilism, according to which life is without intrinsic, meaning or purpose. Other prominent positions within nihilism include the rejection of all normative and ethical views, moral nihilism, the rejection of all social and political views and the stance that no knowledge can or does exist epistemological nihilism and a number of metaphysical positions, which assert that non-abstract items do not exist.
“Is there a teleological nihilism based on structured ontologies or did Pareczenethy focus on irrelevance?”
Jawohl! He believed that life and existence was irrelevant so any action was not capable of being judged. He was angry at me for feeling guilty. He said that betrayal as a concept did not exist because there was no deontological Weltungschauung but rather life was without rules or intrinsic meaning so he scolded me for being sentimental and not being true to philosophical constructs.
So you were colleagues?
Jail Herr Oberst! We served together on the faculty starting in 1912. We were also in the 16th Philosophers Battalion of Infantry from the Old City of Augsburg. From 1914 to 1917 we served together on the front in Prussia against the Russians. In June 1917, we were transferred To the western front in Belgium.
Would you describe him as a friend?
He was one of my closest friends.
What happened after the war?
After the Great War, we returned to the university, but it was in shambles having been taken over by the Spartacists. We formed a Freikorps of University faculty, and we fought in pitched battles against the Spartacus battalions. Pareczenethy was the only Jew who participated in the Freikorps in Augsburg. Then we served on the faculty together for another 17 years.
Until you betrayed your friend.
Richtig.
Were you aware that your actions were based on fallacies and false premises?
I was.
And yet you chose to violate the most sacred principles of philosophy dating to Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato?
I did your honor because I fell victim to the siren song of rigid unyielding National Socialism. It blinded me to the recognition of fallacious argument and false premises.
Were you then ordered by the National Socialist entity to teach fallacious principles and false premises to the students of Germany and for how long did you act in the capacity?
I betrayed my friend. I betrayed all of my principles. I freely admit that I taught fallacious arguments, founded on false premises in order to serve National Socialism.
Were you aware that the great Pareczenethy was murdered in a concentration camp in Breslau in 1944?
I was made aware of this by a former colleague. I was deeply saddened in the end. I believe that I have set the wheels of fate in motion events which cause me to be entirely responsible for the death of Pareczenethy.
Soviet prosecutor Ludmila Parùžnikôv:
You are guilty of crimes against the people! You are guilty of crimes against socialism! Your fascist lies will not serve you! You are guilty of betrayal of the working class by Teaching utilitarian ontologies using a confrontational dialectic!
Is it not true that National Socialism is a belief and or system of beliefs whereby one group of people feel that due to certain inherent characteristics that they are thus superior to other groups and that These inferior groups be eliminated
Speak you fascist dog!
I assert that I relied on false ontologies I rejected a deontological Weltungschauung in favor of a totalitarian confrontational dialectic employing utilitarian principles With no moral or ethical basis.
Capitalist running, dog swine! Enemy of the working class!
The only Philosophy is that of Marx and Engels! Long live the worker and the dictatorship of the Proletariat! I shriek! I shriek!
END OF REEL 1 September 4, 1948
The Botendaddy 