In 1926: living at the edge of time - Monoskop

IMMANENCE = TRANSCENDENCE
(DEATH)
The report on a steeplechase at the Grunewald racetrack published by
the Berliner-Volkszeitung on May 14 contains a strangely philosophical
paragraph. Under the title "Triumph of Death and Life," it presents the
following description of the Alemanni Steeplechase, the most important
competition of the day: "Bellac and Eulogist alternately took the lead,
ahead of Rhineland and Hermes. Death and Life was coming in last.
Death and Life galloped by the grandstand in fourth place. He remained
in this position until they reached the stable area, when it seemed that
Eulogist began to lose strength. In the final stretch, Death and Life
pushed forward, jumped the last hurdle beside Rhineland, who had been
leading until then, and came in first ahead of Pericles, who in the last
few meters had passed Rhineland." While it is already quite remarkable
to see Pericles compete with Eulogist, the name "Death and Life" ("Tod
und Leben") is unusual enough in the context of horseracing to deserve
special reflection. How can concepts like "Death" and "Life" become so
popular, and so far from awe-inspiring, that they end up becoming a
name for a racehorse? One possible answer to this question would point
to an ongoing change in the relations between Immanence and Transcendence
that occupies the minds even of those who never think about
philosophy or theology. It could be described as the absorption of Transcendence
into Immanence, and the simultaneous reemergence of Transcendence
in the context of a new fascination with religion. But having
been traditionally defined as a threshold between Immanence and Tran-
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