Name-Calling an Idealist Has Consequences...

The Unsuspecting People’s Friend Turned Enemy

Ibsen is always a fun read. An Enemy of the People is an interesting study of how a society will punish threats to itself, real or imagined or misunderstood.

If I were some specialist who found some threat to people I would feel I necessarily had to share this threat with hopes that people would not be hurt. Dr. Stockmann tries to do this. But he cannot see past his own self-righteousness to relay his message.

I think this transgression is forgivable given what his intentions are. 

Dr. Stockmann is right. People will get sick. This will not end well. He is our idealist. As the idealist he clashes with the ever ready fiend of idealism: pragmatism. The fight is not fair though. Pragmatism has capitalism in its corner. Where money reigns the Human Being does not have solid ground on which to stand.

Ultimately, the cost of repairs is too much. The safety of the general public and the potential risk of the baths do not measure up against repair costs. The powers that be choose to risk human lives rather than relinquish their cash cow. This is not very likely nowadays though, almost unheard of, right? 

When you disillusion an idealist they turn a very certain type of sour. Stockmann becomes this grandiose madman on a path of, dare I say, revenge. Stockmann is wronged and he would not budge from his ideal. I’m on his side. But his folly was thinking other people would get his message and be as concerned. His folly was not understanding his society.

He makes this odd declaration at the end, a sort of Kierkegaardian re-affirmation of individualism: “the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone”. But is this really true? Is this a perversion of Kierkegaard’s understanding of an individual being?

My dear Stockmann, one must still play in the sandbox. Leading revolution is something I stand behind but I am suspicious that your passion for change might be too heavily influenced by your bruised ego. A good revolution must survive its leader. A good revolution is for something abstract, not just to drive the wolves (who have wounded you specifically) out of society. Mr. Stockmann, you have become that wolf if you carry on too much like this. Sometimes the man standing most alone is there for some other reason than his strength, perhaps he smells bad or has no social skills.

I suspect Kierkegaard’s observations on the death rebellion did not conclude with referring to street kids at ‘capital’ meant for some revolutionary army. But maybe I’m wrong. I’m going to go be alone now so I can feel powerful!

PS: those towns people who label him an enemy...are they really worth saving?