“It is only our conception of time that makes us call the Last Judgement by this name. It is, in fact, a kind of martial law.”
- July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924
- Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
- Writer, lawyer
- Had a major influence on 20th century literature with works such as “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial,” and “The Castle”
Quote
“It is only our conception of time that makes us call the Last Judgement by this name. It is, in fact, a kind of martial law.”
Explanation
In this striking quote, Franz Kafka offers a reinterpretation of the Last Judgment, an event traditionally viewed as a divine reckoning at the end of time when all souls are judged for their actions. Kafka challenges this conventional understanding by suggesting that the Last Judgment is not tied to a specific moment in time but is instead a concept shaped by our limited human perception of time. By describing it as “a kind of martial law,” Kafka implies that the Last Judgment is not a single event but rather an ongoing, eternal imposition of authority and control, similar to the unyielding power of martial law. In this view, the judgment is not a once-and-for-all act but a continuous state in which the individual is perpetually under the scrutiny of an omnipotent force, like a soldier constantly under the threat of punishment or discipline.
Kafka’s works are often filled with characters who experience perpetual judgment—whether from external authorities or from their own internal sense of guilt. The idea of the Last Judgment as an eternal condition of scrutiny resonates with Kafka’s theme of endless trial and punishment. In The Trial, for instance, Josef K. is caught in an unending legal battle, constantly judged by a faceless and impersonal system. Similarly, in The Castle, the protagonist’s struggle to reach the authorities of the castle becomes a metaphor for an individual’s constant striving for acceptance or recognition, only to find that the judgment never fully arrives. Kafka’s quote suggests that judgment is not a final event but a constant process that we experience throughout our lives, whether it’s in our interactions with society, institutions, or our own inner critic.
In a modern context, Kafka’s reimagining of the Last Judgment as martial law speaks to the contemporary experience of being judged in an age of constant surveillance, social media, and cultural pressures. Today, individuals often feel as though they are under a constant gaze, scrutinized not only by the state or institutions but by peers, the media, and even themselves. The judgment Kafka refers to is not necessarily a divine reckoning at the end of time but a perpetual state of scrutiny that permeates everyday life. This might manifest as the pressure to conform, the weight of societal expectations, or the ever-present fear of failure in a world that demands constant accountability. Kafka’s words invite us to reflect on how we experience judgment in our own lives and whether it is something we can ever truly escape, or if it is an inherent part of the human condition, always looming over us like an unwelcome and inescapable law.
