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the means to identify dead forms is mathematical law, the means whereby to understand living forms is analogy.

What does this mean? When I looked it up I got a history textbook and it was talking about how this phrase is "comparative morphology" I don't have a history degree. When I looked up "comparative morphology (history)" nothing relevant came up.

and is not archaeology itself an expression of the sense that history is repetition?

I have genuinely no idea what the author is trying to say with this.

Is it possible to read this book with no previous knowledge of historicity? I don't wanna keep putting tons of thought into deciphering this coded language. Any tips?

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    Yes, delete here and post on English. Also, quote more or link to the book.
    – Tomas By
    Jun 21, 2021 at 18:03
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    I'd start with Wikipedia which discusses the overview, forms and morphology. "Spengler's philosophy of history, using a methodology which approached history and historical comparisons on the basis of civilizational forms and structure" use math to study prior forms; for current/active living forms, you need to use an analogy. Note from Wikipedia that his approach is ... not widely supported...
    – MCW ♦
    Jun 21, 2021 at 18:12
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    I suspect you'll also have to review Goethe and Nietsche, which are not light reading. And perhaps inoculate yourself against 1920's German far right ideology.
    – MCW ♦
    Jun 21, 2021 at 18:32
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    Well, its possible its History jargon, so ELU wouldn't be any better. However, neither site is going to do well with only part of a sentence. Personally, I'd prefer to see the entire paragraph for context.
    – T.E.D. ♦
    Jun 21, 2021 at 19:54
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    "I have genuinely no idea what the author is trying to say with this". Heh. You assume that he knew and that it's more than muddy thinking.
    – Mark Olson
    Jun 21, 2021 at 20:41

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