Last and First Men · Chapter
XV: The Last Men explained
This chapter introduces the Last Men, the final human species, describing their physical form, spiritual culture, and unique racial consciousness.
What happens
This chapter introduces the Last Men, the final human species, describing their physical form, spiritual culture, and unique racial consciousness. It explores their relationship with the cosmos, their acceptance of fate, and their supreme goal of realizing the cosmic ideal. The chapter contrasts their advanced state with earlier human species and details their society, which is dominated by a single racial purpose.
Themes in this chapter
Immortality and Death
The chapter contemplates the impending extinction of mankind and the possibility of the cosmic ideal being realized, offering a perspective on death as a superb though tragic event.
Cosmic Indifference and Meaning
The Last Men view the cosmos as beautiful yet terrible, and their highest achievement is a relentless admiration of fate, finding meaning in the face of cosmic indifference.
Suffering and Redemption
The chapter discusses the suffering of countless beings and the hope that the awakened Soul of All might embrace all spirits, offering a form of redemption for the martyred.
Characters to notice
- The Last Men
The subject of the chapter, described in detail with their physical and spiritual characteristics.
- The First Men
Used as a point of comparison to illustrate the differences and evolution of the Last Men.
- The Fifth Men
Mentioned as having sought the experience of cosmic beauty deliberately.
- The Seventh Men
Mentioned as having happened upon a glimpse of cosmic beauty while in the air.
- The Sixteenth Men
Mentioned for their forlorn crusade to rescue the tragic past.
- The Martians
Referenced as being insanely and miserably obsessed, among the tragic beings of the solar system.
Key passages
“If one of the First Men could enter the world of the Last Men, he would find many things familiar and much that would seem strangely distorted and perverse.”
A time traveler from the earliest human species would find the world of the final human species both recognizable and alien.
Introduces the vast evolutionary and cultural gap between the First and Last Men.
“We see now clearly that their enterprise, though desperate, was not quite fantastic.”
The mission of the Sixteenth Men to rescue the past, though seemingly hopeless, was not entirely without merit.
Reflects on the potential validity of a past species' seemingly irrational goal.
“Strong in the knowledge that the human spirit has already inscribed the cosmos with indestructible beauty, and that inevitably, whether sooner or later, man's career must end, we face this too sudden end with laughter in our hearts, and peace.”
The Last Men face their own extinction with peace and even joy, knowing their species has contributed lasting beauty to the universe.
Captures the unique attitude of the Last Men towards their own mortality.
“Ours is thus in a sense the most democratic of all societies. Yet in another sense it is extremely bureaucratic, since it is already...”
The society of the Last Men is both perfectly democratic, with decisions made by all, and highly organized, with a complex system of customs.
Describes the paradoxical nature of the Last Men's social and political structure.
