"Fight Club," a 1999 thriller directed by David Fincher and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter, is a story about the mundanity of modern life and the psychological turmoil it causes. The protagonist, The Narrator (Edward Norton), leads a life filled with stress and anxiety, resulting in severe insomnia. From this suffering, an alter ego arises, Tyler Durden, who represents everything The Narrator desires to be but is not.
The philosophy behind the movie can be narrowed down to Nietzschean philosophy, specifically the conflict between the 'Ubermensch' (Greater Man) and the 'Last Man,' representing the class of people who have accepted the pains of the status quo and devolved into a 'passive nihilism.' In relation to reality, "Fight Club" represents a world in which disaffected young men and women live in an advanced world where most people work to consume things they do not need. The modern technology and comfort it brings allow for a sedentary lifestyle focused on short-term pleasure rather than long-term fulfilment through hard work. Young men, in particular, are severely impacted due to societal rules that discourage intensely masculine behaviour such as drive, aggression, and competition.
The Narrator, played by Edward Norton, embodies the archetype of the last man. Like much of modern society, he lives his adult years wasting away in an office, completing tasks for a boss he hates and void of true purpose. Arising from the pains of his life, he develops insomnia, which can be described philosophically as 'death anxiety.' The death of God and the concept of a supernatural being that saves one's soul has led modern man to experience a pathological fear of death. Humans have no way to satisfy a subconscious fear of death after abandoning the concept of an afterlife, so they seek to immerse themselves in the material world instead of distracting themselves.
The Narrator represents the average person today, a lifeless drone going through the motions of the day with little motivation, dreams, or drive. Despite living in an age where first-world people can go anywhere, see anything, and do almost anything, life still operates within the Pareto principle; 80% live simply as workers and consumers, and 20% operate freely or are in control of the 80%.
Like many young men today, The Narrator has been discouraged from engaging in his masculine urges, with societal rules and laws built over time to eradicate unique masculine behaviours such as aggression and competitiveness, as they are said to lead to violence. The technological world is incredibly fragile and relies on abandoning primal urges and natural needs. At one point, men would use a spear as their tool of choice, but now the computer does all the work for them, leaving them docile. Docility and the lack of masculinity due to rules have turned man from hunter to gatherer exclusively.
According to Friedrich Nietzsche, the concept of the 'Last man' describes people who are passive nihilists, do not take risks, break boundaries, or leave comfort and security with the goal of the betterment of their condition. Instead, they accept themselves as mediocrities with no desire. The decline of religion, specifically in the Western world, has created an absence of purpose, leading to indulgence in material desires or activities. The concept of 'Surrogate Activities,' as written by Theodore Kaczynski, states
'We use the term "surrogate activity" to designate an activity that is directed toward an artificial goal that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work toward, or let us say, merely for the sake of the "fulfilment" that they get from pursuing the goal.'
Said surrogate activities frequently tend to be self-destructive. Society often engages in acts that lead to gratification, as said but will also cause physical and mental damage. Individuals become their enemies within a community absent of famine, plague and war. The "Living for the weekend" culture prevalent among working people has ultimately led to excessive drinking and its consequences plaguing the class. Alcoholism, once a shared issue between the aristocrats and the peasants, has found itself to cause strife among the lowest rank. Unhealthy food has become the meal of choice for working people thanks to being easy to cook or buy. They are ultimately causing the poorest of society to suffer the most from obesity. The normalisation of Pornography has created a situation in which children aged 12 will, on average, be introduced to it and will soon engage in it for their entire life. Young men will find themselves suffering early from erectile dysfunction due to porn addiction and having a lower level of testosterone than their granddad. Real men, like the Narrator, are living lives of emasculation. They have lost their vigour and virility to modern consumerist culture and the toxic environment they must live in. The world of Fight Club is simply a mirror to our own.
Many men watching Fight Club become uncomfortable when they understand that the Narrator is more relatable than they want him to be. Much of Western Society lives simply as neutered animals, with limited human capacity to serve capital. Tyler Durden contrasts the Last Man concept and the Narrator. As already stated, Tyler is a creation in the mind of The Narrator. Tyler embodies the characteristics that The Narrator desires, physically fit, fearless, and dedicated to his beliefs. The purpose of this personality is to change The Narrator from the submissive 'Last Man' to a dominant Ubermensch, dedicated to the cause of freeing humanity from the chains of the capitalist system and the by-products of consumerism.
The hyper-masculine, dominant alter ego of The Narrator is introduced as Tyler Durden. Within our world, men that embrace natural masculinity are discouraged from engaging in society due to mass propaganda calling masculinity 'toxic'. 'Toxic Masculinity' as a concept is an organised attack by ideologues within academia to discourage men from embracing their true nature as men. This aims to subvert men away from ideologies that appeal to the male psyche, such as conservatism, in favour of ideologies that further the goals of an elite class. In this generation, young men are primarily influenced by social media and the internet. There is also a clear appetite among this demographic for content that promotes masculinity, for example Andrew Tate being propelled into the public sphere. His name became one of the most searched on the planet. However just as he reached his peak popularity, there was a coordinated ban wave across numerous platforms, specifically social media, but even email services. Tyler is a representative of masculine figures in the world. Estranged, cast out by the system.
As their relationship progresses, the Narrator gradually becomes more radicalised by Tyler's philosophy, and they create a Fight Club and recruit members. The purpose of the said club at face value was not to settle disputes or for competition but to awaken other men up to the Durden worldview. Men seek a sense of fraternity with like-minded individuals; however, since the Industrial Revolution, such groups have slowly been rendered obsolete. Men no longer have the time or energy to engage in such activities. The descent into 'passive nihilism' has also contributed to a lack of fraternal groups. Freemasons, Templars, and others believed in a metaphysical worldview and had a spiritual basis. With these beliefs, men could come together to meet their shared goals and benefit from each other's help and wisdom. This cannot take place in the workplace. Much of the population in the capitalist world care very little for the labour they produce. Tyler's club becomes a surrogate activity for The Narrator and the other disaffected young men, as it stimulates the primal desires of men and the innately violent nature that has allowed for the survival of humans. The men simulate our ancestors' activities for survival or initiation purposes. The fight club represents communities of eccentric young men that exist today. Due to tight media control, men who dissent from the system even without intending to harm anyone, are shut off from the mainstream platforms. They are forced to operate outside the system's infrastructure, which can be dangerous. This poses a problem because when ideas of traditionalism in terms of gender and dissenting political views are shut off from the conversation, it allows the radicalisation of many individuals that otherwise would not be if they were allowed to engage. The demonisation of these people leads to isolation, isolation is a breeding ground for violence. Young men need a platform to air their grievances.
Since enlightenment, humans has slowly begun to abandon the previous belief in a moral supreme being that helps guide us in our lives with its set rules, with the purpose of reaching the afterlife. Modern advancements in technology have not proven that God does not exist but have raised questions about the existence of God. A sudden drop in religiosity has left many wondering, is our life meaningless? The absence of the metaphysical leaves much of society falling into a sense of nihilism. Life does not have a more significant meaning or purpose. The consequence of this is the submission to material desires and pleasure, to remedy the existential fear that once we die, it is over. The nihilist world is one of carnal pleasure. One of degenerate social trends, the collapse of the family through anti-natalism, and hyper-consumerism. Many philosophers have created theories that attempt to form a solution to these issues.
Tyler emphasises the importance of coming to terms with the fact that man and God are no longer linked, and modern man must adopt a new sense of spiritualism. He uses the metaphor of fathers being our models for God. men use their fathers as the archetype of how to live. He creates a syncretism between living in your father's image and God’s. Due to the capitalist mode of production requiring men to dedicate most of their time and energy to the workplace, the father's influence is hindered. Fathers in many religions are valued as the link between their children and the metaphysical. Therefore, modern men and women suffer from spiritual crises. Moreover, the disconnect between Dad and Son leads to the emasculation of young men. Freud's famous idea of the Oedipus Complex states that the male offspring's belief in a rivalry between themself and the father is a necessary stage of development. However, the father and son must rekindle a solid relationship to complete oedipal development. Without this stage, being completed can lead to psychological problems in later life. In essence, Tyler uses this idea to explain the emasculated men issue.
The Narrator previously stated that he never knew his dad and wanted to fight him. Tyler, therefore, is seeking to remedy the damage from the Narrator not completing oedipal development; this may be through replacing his father with the image of Tyler. Many of today's men are suffering from the issues of absent fathers and the lack of belief in fatherhood. The rise of female empowerment has made the traditional family a tale of the past. Both social movements and capitalism have forced a disconnect between the son and the father. Long working hours give the father and son less time to build relationships. Female empowerment has given rise to high divorce rates. Prior to second and third-wave feminism, divorce rates were relatively low. In 1960 the rate was around 9.2 new divorces per 1000 people. By 1980 this was at 22.6% Wang (2020). Data shows that women are more likely to initiate divorce, which increases significantly if the woman is educated, Wang (2015).
The concept behind Tyler's philosophy in Fight Club is representative of how modern men are disconnected from their masculinity. The movie portrays The Narrator as a man lacking ambition, who seeks a male role model to better himself. This is a common experience among young men today who are in search of guidance in a world that often overlooks their needs. The crux of Tyler's philosophy is that men must rediscover their masculinity in a spiritual manner. This can be accomplished through activities that provide a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, without resorting to the extreme violence depicted in the movie. Fight Club's message is deeply philosophical and reflects the difficulties faced by men in our society. It is crucial for young men to find an outlet for their thoughts and reclaim traditional gender norms and masculinity. This essay has used Fight Club and the ideas of various philosophers to delve into these themes and propose solutions on how men can rediscover their identity in a rapidly changing world. It is a call to action for men to take charge of their lives and find meaningful ways to engage with the world.