>>103281737
Spengler's cyclical view of history where civilizations rise, and must collapse to make way for renewal. The games decaying kingdoms reflect Spengler’s belief that societies once they reach their peak inevitably succumb to institutional rot, hollowing out their original vitality. The Age of Fire, prolonged unnaturally by the gods, and eventually man, mirrors Spengler’s critique of civilizations clinging to outdated forms, leading to decay and stagnation. Lothric is the final form of this, whose only purpose is to perpetuate a society for the sake of perpetuation.
The Undead Curse symbolizes this spiritual decay, as individuals lose purpose, becoming hollow shells of their former selves. Dark Souls suggests that destruction is necessary for rebirth, as seen in the Usurpation of Fire or the Age of Dark endings, which reject the corrupted old order. Like Spengler, the games imply that a society unwilling to embrace its natural end becomes a grotesque parody of itself, and only through collapse can new cycles begin. Thus, Dark Souls serves as an interactive allegory for Spenglerian decline, where stagnation is a fate worse than death.
Phase Connect.
