The Ordering Of Europe Block 2 PDF

The ordering of Europe Block 2 Lecture 1: Degeneration and decline (4 November) - Future Lascaux Cave -> the idea that modern...

The ordering of Europe Block 2 Lecture 1: Degeneration and decline (4 November) - Future Lascaux Cave -> the idea that modern scholars have pointed to the rejection of Past humans / ancestors long ago in prehistory capitalism as the novel seems to reflect -> Reinhart Koselleck (1923-2006) maintained were savages who had no culture, culture is other scholars have pointed to the novel’s that the pace of history had tremendously something that developed later -> the critique on urbanisation and metropolitanism accelerated, and as a consequence the discovery of the impressive wallpaintings -> novel indicates the limitations of conceptions of the present and the past called this assumption into question, they modernity and modern science -> Dracula is a was torn apart -> he referred to the fact created art and had common rituals and a figure that science can’t defeat -> projected as that around 1800, experiences of the past common culture -> assumption of a very feminine character as he is a threath to were no longer valid in dictating the demarcation between high and low culture -> masculinity present there was a clear connection between every This sense of discontinuity between the day practices and their artistic and Europe in 1900-1914 past and present created (according to intellectual manifestations ‘La Belle Èpoque’ or ‘Vertigo Years’? -> only in Koselleck) our historical consciousness -> hindsight this period can be seen as a the past is a world that is no longer ours Peter Burke -> Culture = “a system of shared precursor to the horrors of WWI —> WWI only The experiences of fear of the future and meanings, attitudes and values, and the acted as a catalyst to speeded up the changes rejection of the past resulted in symbolic forms (performances, artefacts) in that were already in place and the anxieties disorientation and insecurity in the which they are expressed or embodied” (Burke, that were already set in motion European populace Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe The linear view of history went hand-in- (1978)) Cyclical view of history hand with the view of the past as a Antiquity -> humanity went through an separate time and resulted in John Tosh -> Culture = a web of meaning that endless cycle with periods of growth and then disorientation and insecurity, however characterises society and holds its members of decline -> decline was reflected in the fact that man was put at the forefront together humanity but also in nature of human historical and future Cultural history = “the reconstruction of the & Decline progression also resulted in the idea that mental, emotional and conceptual world of the man could also produce the opposite: past” (Tosh, The pursuit of History (2014)) decay Growth The idea of growth and progress Responses to modernity in Fin de siècle Christian view of history simultaneously gained ground at the Europe Central to this view is that history is the same time that ideas of decay and The Eiffel Tower and Dracula represent fulfilment of God’s will, disobeying God’s will degeneration conflicting ideas about European would therefore lead to disaster and decline modernity at the beginning of the century -> history had a clear beginning (God’s Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) argued Eiffel tower 1889 -> a showcase of French creation) and a clear end (The Final that man was ‘born free’ but corrupted by achievements, colonial successes and an Judgement) -> the decline or demise was seen society and civilisation -> civilisation created addition to the Paris World Fair -> it was as an all-encompassing process that could an environment that limited the freedom of supposed to be more amazing than the eventually affect everything -> culture wasn’t man, according to Rousseau man could London Glass Palace, and the pinnacle of seen as a separate sphere that could be prevent this limitation by creating a modernity and demonstrated the power of detached from humanity, nature etc community that built a social contract the present over the past -> heralded the successes of the coming century Linear view of history Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) wrote a Dracula by Bram Stoker 1897 -> The Enlightment period identified man, classemphasise that each civilisatione of the represented not modernity but the instead of God, as the driver of change Roman Empire -> in the eyes of opposite -> reflected the anxieties and and presented the fact that his actions had contemporaries this was disturbing, because discontent with modernity in Europe -> effect of civilizational growth the book seemed to emphasise that each the act of vampirism referred to the moral In the Enlightenment, civilisation and civilisation before the next had to go through and physical decay that many feared were culture is for the first time identified as a a period of demise -> this added to the fear of spreading across Europe. The novel also separate category -> philosophers began the destruction of the world as they knew it refers to the degeneration of the female to organise the past into civilisations that -> He linked the fall of the Roman Empire to character -> had succeeded each other the cultural decline of the Empire Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) Modernization also entailed the Discontent with modernity focusses on Hegel’s Dialectic emphasised that each event popularity of positivism as well as the two theme’s: the masses and the machine (thesis) generates its opposite (antithesis) and popularity of utilitarianism (man should Many intellectuals believed the European this evolves in a synthesis (a mixture of both maximise utility and everything should elite had the task to civilise the masses thesis and anthesis be measured in outcome) and teach them to be better -> they Synthesis If the inner civilisation couldn’t keep up envisaged a leading role for themselves with the modernisation of external in the progress of modernity and believed Thesis Antithesis civilisation, this would then lead to the masses were susceptible to political dangerous decline of society that the manipulation Synthesis European intellectual elite feared In this way, the ideas of the European Thesis Antithesis intellectual elite at the term of the Teological view of history -> ‘Telos’ = purpose Max Nordeau (1849-1923) -> declared that century were highly undemocratic and or goal modern European civilisation suffered leaned more to an oligarchical structure the most from degeneration (Entartung) -> The complaints about the masses and the Karl Marx (1818-1883) borrowed Hegel’s he claimed that society was in a state of depriving effects of modern mass culture Dialectic view to understand the past and decay, especially in France and among artists often went hand-in-hand with gloomy anticipate the future, he produced a 5-stage and writers where he declared that modern views about the metropole -> metropoles narrative for human history -> the prime art was a result of neurosis were considered ‘jungles’ were the masses concern for Marx is the economy In Nordau’s view the concept of degeneration lived and prostitution and corruption gained a firm foothold in public debate -> were rampant August Comte (1798-1857) labels such as ‘degeneration’ or ‘degeneration Intellectuals critiqued industrialisation Theological or fictitious stage: Man takes a of art’ were borrowed by the Nazis to oppress and advancements in mechanisation as religious view on society and believes in Jewish culture, although Nordau was Jewish having a negative effect on class equality supernatural forces himself and throughout his book calls anti- and the working-class had been rendered Metaphysical or abstract stage: Man attributes Semitism a degenerative trait to a cog in a machine effects to abstract but poorly understood Industrialisation was seen as having a causes Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) -> influenced negative impact on human culture -> the Positive of scientific stage: Pinnacle of human by Herbert Spencer -> argued that criminality worker that had been beaten down by progress; man understands the scientific laws was a defect that people were born with and a capitalism now had no personal or that rule the world, and relies on scientific mistake in evolution individual desire explanations based on experiment, reason and observation Max Weber (1864-1920) -> described the Otto Dix, Metropolis (1928) -> depicts the Positivism = all knowledge is derived from ‘disenchantment of the world’ meaning alleged decadent and degenerated night life empirical, experimental science that everything that before was deemed as in Berling, vulgar dances and Jazz music, magical, was now rejected and society had prostitutes Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) -> influenced by become over-rationalised and modern Comte and Darwin, founded Social Darwinism (‘Survival of the fittest’) -> popular school of Complaints from intellectuals about thought in late 19th and early 20th century -> modernity: it created racist and war-mongering attitudes 1. Capitalism -> had led saviourvidualistic and egoistic society -> there was no The idea of (cultural) decline as a response to longer a true sense of solidarity between modernity (= the outcome of the process of individuals -> economic value was placed modernisation) at the forefront and all religious and Modernity is taken to mean the outcome spiritual practices were outrightly of the process of modernization rejected Religion was not an accepted fact of 2. Religion was seen as the saviour of everyday life anymore morality -> so the secularism o the 19th century scared some into thinking the morals of man were on the decline Readings Week 1 Historical awareness in 3 principles: 2. Nostalgia Tosh, Chapter 1 - Historical Awareness Difference Is backward-looking, but instead of Historical awareness = how the past is known Recognition of the gulf that separates our denying the fact of historical change, it and how it is applied to present own age from all previous ages interprets it in one direction only – as need are open to widely varying approaches - Anachronism: the assumption that people change for the worse. but slippery term and can be applied more in the past behaved and thought as we do. E.g. generational regret, or as a response rigorously -> History as a disciplined enquiry Historical empathy to sudden change or development aims to sustain the widest possible definition Periodization = measuring distance from One of the mainsprings of the Romantic of memory, to make it as accurate as possible past; “modern” as different times movement and not conveniently so Context Also called “heritage” Subject of inquiry must not be drenched Present-day nostalgia has myopia (= For any social group to have collective from its setting. short-sightedness), because past is made beliefs, collective memories must be present Social or economic) state of the world as better than present (removing negative (e.g. suffrage and gay rights movements) -> cruciall elements) -> Pessimistic view of present social memory = popular knowledge about the Process past (can be found in higher authority) -> The relationship between events over time 3. Progress memory of inclusion and consensus which endows them with more Optimistic view of present and future Foundation myth = A story, usually much- significance than if they were viewed in Change over time, but with the crucial treasured, about the foundation of a group isolation. difference that a positive value is placed or people (e.g. the biblical story of the How we got from “then” to “now” on the change, endowing it with moral Creation). Nations often have semi- ’official’ Every aspect of our culture, behaviour and content. versions of their origins, usually involving beliefs is the outcome of processes over Defining myth of the West - source of national hero figures, but foundation myths time. cultural self-assurance and superiority can be found in schools, army regiments and Invention of Enlightenment 18th century even companies. ‘Myth’ need not imply that Three recurrent features of social memory Writers such as Voltaire, Hume and Adam the story is entirely false, merely that it has 1. Tradition Smith regarded history as an unfinished developed into a simplistic, usually rosy, An assumption that what was done in the record of material and moral version of events. past is an authoritative guide to what improvement. They sought & wrote about But! Can also serve as a means of should be done in the present. historical accuracy -> If the desire to oppression, e.g. erasing of black history. Crudest distortion demonstrate progress is pressed too far (if Also for political action, e.g. labour parties For small-scale pre-literate peoples, historian disagrees with ideas of the -> and feminism; history = patriarchy: respect for tradition contributed time) , it quickly comes into conflict with mainstream history supresses truth immensely to the cohesion of society; the historian’s obligation to recreate the past and present can hardly be past on its own terms. Effective political mobilization depends on a distinguished. = traditional societies -> All about belief, not inquiry consciousness of common experience Surprises historical historical changes in the past. that happened in intervening period One important task of historians is to The dominant approach in historical In modern societies, tradition holds challenge socially motivated scholarship has been to value the past for sentimental value but no longer a guide misrepresentations of the past! its own sake and, as far as possible, to rise Example of bad consequence tradition: Herbert Butterfield make attack on above political expediency. Historicism nationalism present-minded history (facet of Romanticism!): autonomy of past Essentialism/immemorialism = Practice of being non-sectarian (= must be respected -> Thomas Carlyle: relating to the basic nature (the avoiding allegiance to any particular demanded realistic historical recreation ‘essence’) of people or nations (e.g. religious group. and Ranke: detachment from present to Hitlers “übermensch”) So historians try to be opposite to keepers understand past Particularly clear in newly autonomous of social memory nations Difference between history and social memory -> Historians base on/work with social memory, and cannot detach themselves completely from their own time Freud, Das Unbehagen Der Kultur Renewed faith is the only remedy for Zola Pleasure-principle (happiness) as life’s biological decay (“German Faith”, anti-Jew) Interest in the dregs of existence; dwells on purpose; though it is much easier to be scenes with e.g. sexuality -> reported as unhappy Wagner had uncertainty about his own ashamed of his own sexuality -> writing as a Man either wants to be sexually active or origins -> to his insecurity, his father might form of literary hygiene aggressive; the desire for these acts is have been a Jew inherent to human nature -> desire for Associating “Jewish” as a feminine trait, for Attraction of dirt -> everything must be clean, aggression is always waiting and growing feminism disturbs the male order (chaos) but succumbing to the dirt as “giving in”; if not expressed represents chaos but also fertility/cycle of life Culture and civilization are a Own tense relationship with sexuality; heroes In work of Zola e.g. fertility of mine; the blood reinforcement to keep the aggressive as chaste (sexuality as a threat) -> Jews are of the miners who died seeps in the ground, human in place, acting out every measure, identified with sexuality, therefore chaos and making it “fertile” for new life but these measures are not stronger than impure But: redemption requires asceticism, for life to the instincts Internal battle, since he might identify as Jew; emerge from chaos Freud points back to the Huns or pious punishes himself for desire and feelings of Crusaders in Jerusalem as proof aggression (guilt) According to Zola, writing means purity; but Monogamy is a restriction too, on the in your works you can express your interests sexual desires Stoker’s “Dracula” for sexuality and violence -> writing a He tells about the Communists, who argue Count Dracula embodies Alien (blood) - like compulsive act to create order, but also that the man is inherently good and “us” but still different -> combination of man purification ritual -> requires power of faith friendly, but because of private property and animal as undead; resembles Darwinian he turns evil and disregards his ape; driven by sense for “sensual delight”/ Purity as a matter of place; “dirt is matter in neighbour; when this is abolished man sexuality -> excludes deadly stench; stench the wrong place” (Freud) Purity prescriptions shall be free of aggression -> Freud, of viewed as sign of disease -> his vampire bite in primitive cultures depend largely on the course, disagrees as the disease -> seen as representative of fear of change, ambiguity, and transgression East End of London (where is much poverty of established frontiers; “dirt is essentially Labrie, “Purity and Danger in Fin de Siècle and crime) for he cooks and cleans for his disorder” Europe” (2002) guests -> symbolises fear of immigrants “Pure” and “impure” different in all kinds of (specifically Jews from Eastern Europe) The quest for purity reflects the desire for a cultures -> purity as a primal religious rigid order and mixophobia (= fear of mining manifestation Dracula associated with Jews, because of categories that should remain distinct) -> Bourgeois desire for purity: nationalism + characteristics such as nervousness, tendency hygienic + symbolic purpose racism — hygiene + pure art/science for hysteria and unbounded sexual appetites -> also associated with women, especially Strong link between desire for purity vs. fear Wagner with uprising of the New Woman against the of change, ambiguity and transgression -> Bildungsbürgertum (“Wagnerian” culture established male order (and traditional role as fear inspired need for new order and philosophy) -> Reinmenschliche: ideal of pure, mother and wife) reaffirmation of traditional boundaries aesthetic individual, free of all poltical/social Dracula -> confusion of sexual boundaries, e.g. Fin de Siècle thus as a period with a “profound coercion (Aryan, German-national plan) the vampirellas; sexually active women as identity-crisis” Modern society as unaesthetic and unsuitable temptation but also fear for art -> criticism on capitalism However, Dracula as the most sexually As an official category, purity represents the threatening character and symbolises the religious ideal of recaptured harmony, Wagner talks of universal revolution (Rebirth/ vanishing frontier between the sexes integrity, and unity -> impure as the “alien” Regeneration): “The objective is a strong and (emergence of oppression) that penetrates and mingles with the order clean mankind: the revolution brings strength; In Stoker’s Dracula or Wagner’s Jew, the art brings beauty”. -> The one who shall do Stoker argues that only by recognizing the impure is sacrificed to purify the community this requires spiritual purity; meaning being evil in ourselves, we can fight it effectively. ascetic but also national and racial hygiene -> Jew as the diabolical origin of all modern illnesses (purity of Aryan blood necessary) Life is impure by nature, as it is changeable Seminar 1 (06 november) Wagners ideas: antisemitism, having a and full of mixed substances, and cannot Tosh - Chapter 1: Historical awareness “clean race”, mythical tales were heroism be surpressed, e.g. Wagner’s suppression of his What does Tosh mean by ‘social memory’, and purity were the main themes, “pure own sexuality -> most extreme consequence what are its distorting effects, and how is the German nation” of a purity ideal that derives from the past used for political means? Social memory Stokers ideas: Dracula as a feminine Christian tradition and continues to refers to the public memory, the common figure; fear of loss of male stance during determine much of the bourgeois moral conscience of the past. This is distorted by the battle of the sexes, Dracula embodies standard. the elements tradition (as the worst one), impurity nostalgia and progress. The past can be used Zolas ideas: the act of writing to reach as political means as oppression, e.g. the purity. Afraid of sexuality? erasure of black history in North America. Example of tradition: Zwarte Piet Fraud, Das Unbehagen in der Kultur (1930) Example of nostalgia: Golden Ages What is the central message of the extract of Example of progress: Marxism Freud’s Civilisation and its discontents Progress distortion because: past is bad (1930)? Humans have two innate drives; sexual but gets increasingly better because of (eros) and aggressive (thanathos) drive. progress; mirror view of nostalgia Humans always a threat to each other in that way. By helps of rules, culture and And: in which ways is ‘social memory’ in civilization, people try to control these urges, opposition to the ‘historical awareness’ of but in the end this is hopeless. Freud professional historians who take their cue says we should just accept these flaws; we are from 19th century historicism? As social doomed to be unhappy. memory refers to the public memory and its distortions, historical awareness aims at And: is Freud a cultural critic, who believes historical accuracy and remaining neutral that redemption is still possible, or is he a when writing as a professional historian. cultural pessimist, who believes that the Historical awareness = the acknowledgment discontent with modern civilisation can’t be that the past is different; it is a foreign solved? So no, Freud believes redemption country -> historical empathy is crucial isn’t possible, because these flaws are inherent Leopold Ranke: study the past how it is, with human nature. different; “wie es eigentlich gewesen ist” Labrie, ‘Purity and danger in Fin de Siècle culture’ Why, and when do people long for purity? How is this manifest in the works of Wagner, Stoker and Zola? And: can you think of other more recent examples? Purity, e.g. Hitlers “übermensch”. People long for purity because they view the world as chaos; making it “pure” is making sense of it. “Disorder” in longing for “order”. Fear of transgression of established borders! (e.g. between sexes or classes) Why do Wagner, Stoker and Zola want purity? Because they were scared of change, of the transitions of their time; increased sense of insecurity and longing for order. Lecture 2: The Crisis of European Civilisation (11 November) Joachim Gauck - “A European century (2014) Filippo Marinetti: ‘we will glorify war – Paul Gauguin (a painter) believed Tahiti “100 years ago, Franz Marc identified the world's only hygiene” -> capacity to was a utopia, in contrast in modern excessive nationalism as – in his own cleanse or purge the World France at the time words – an ‘invisible enemy of the The mass public rejected the prospect of 5. A desire for purity -> This was a European spirit’.” war psychological strategy to exercise a fear “Like my country’s peace-loving citizens, I of change -> was and is manifest in many too find it inconceivable that, back then, Discontent with modernity different ways; be that through visual art, intellectuals thought war could bring Solutions to the fear of cultural/social/ essays or organisations salvation and purification.” national degeneration varied Eugenics movement -> Sir Francis Celton 1. A return to nature -> solution to the led the first Eugenics Society in the UK Franz Marc (1880-1916) -> German artist with urbanization and materialism -> pastoral and maintained the idea that in order to an internationalist outlook of Europe and harmonious countryside combatted prevent a degeneration of society the “Das geheime Europa” (1914) -> during WWI the ideas of “the machine” genetic quality of humans should be but Marc welcomed the war as purification -> Garden City movement in UK, aimed at improved (i.e. forced sterilization, believed in the destruction of borders and bringing the benefits of country-life to marriage laws, forced reproduction of advocated for Germans to embrace European the city healthy members of society) ideals German Youth Movements -> propagated Lebensreform movement -> they “Salvation was only possible through the hiking and shared discontent with propagated abstentions from alcohol, ancient remedy of blood sacrifice. [...] bourgeois materialism tabaco etc. -> they believed a cultural Europe is sick from an old hereditary Henri Theroux’s book Walden -> wish to reordering could be achieved through an disease and wants to be healthy, that’s return to nature enhancement of the mentality and the why it yearns for blood“ Nature Conservation Movement (~1900) -> way of life of the individual, so they a profound international blood sacrifice” desire to return to nature payed close attention to the purity of the “Which European today would like to 2. Glorifying the past -> appeal to era of the body and the purity of blood undo the war? Even the English don‘t Middle Ages -> period before reformation want to do that! The English people have when there was one harmonious Christian This perception of the war as a catharsis instinct. They understand, that the war fate -> represented humble living and Often went hand-in-hand with the idea will purify them. The war is fought for community feel that the war was a culmination of the purification, for purification the sick William Morris -> believed medieval times cultural crisis that modernity had blood is spilled.” held morality and chivalrous values that unleashed -> the war was seen as a form Let us remain soldiers, also after the war“ had been destroyed by capitalism and the of redemptive suffering borugouis society The notion of WW1 as a catharsis is based Catharsis -> καθαίρειν “to purge, to cleanse” Wagner’s operas are based on medieval on the assumption that the war had -> the purification of extreme emotions legends generated a nation- wide sense of unity through art 3. Religion -> most cultural critics and abruptly ended modern society’s Late 19th century adopted as a medical believed the modern man is lost and disintegration -> this passionate sense of term -> Freud -> it described the method had no moral compass without religion unity was also informed by the political that those under hypnosis went through New small-scale religious movements -> truces between the belligerent states in o recall trauma and memory people sought salvation from cultural and 1914 Notion of WWI as catharsis -> historians/ moral decay stuck to Christianity The war seemed to have lifted people from intellectuals believed that through the 4. Exoticism -> increased discontent with their religious/class-based/political alleged regenerative violence of the war, European civilization encouraged affiliations Europe’s modern culture could be saved artists/intellectuals to look at foreign As well as on the assumption that the war from decay civilizations that were considered was a violent release of long-suppressed Max Scheler believed the war would lead unspoiled by industrialisation and irrational, spiritual powers and hidden, to ‘the moral regeneration of Europe’ modernisation -> they were believed to primary instincts -> and doing so could be Maurice Barrès: ‘this war leads to a be more authentic and harmonious an antidote to the prevailing rationalism, ressurection’ materialism, disintegration, decadence and ‘lifelessness’ of modern society ->  rationalism was seen as a contributing The idea of war as a catharsis was used in Dominant narrative: crisis of Europe’s factor to an egoistic, individualistic war propaganda, they wanted to present culture, or of Europe’s civilization -> WWI society where humans were regarded by the war as a cultural crusade where their was caused by Europe, had far-reaching the economic successes national country fought for the social, political, economic, and permanence of European ideals -> WW1 demographic consequences for Europe, Rudolf Eucken in 1914 wrote ‘The Moral Forces was presented as a justified struggle for a and confronted Europe with the rise of of War’ that described the German social greater good two new global powers and loss of its situation through explaining the unifying hegemonic position in the world feature of the war, the rise in human empathy Germany One’s definition of what ‘Europe’s and the disappearance of class and political Intellectuals praised German’s superiority civilization’ should look like, determines divides -> his main message concerned the by presenting the war as a cultural battle one’s perception of its specific threats, revival of German between Kultur (German and the sense of problems, as well as of the envisaged social unification the inner morality of society) and remedies Zivilisation (Britain or France that was The vision of the crisis of civilization as a Stefan Zweig wrote ‘The World of Yesterday’ superficially moral) pan-European problem of which the roots, in 1942 reflecting of WW1 experiences -> he This dichotomy of Kultur and Zivilisation as well as the consequences, were admits that he wouldn’t have wanted to miss also manifested in a different debate manifest throughout Europe, gave rise to the first phase of WW1 as there was an concerning ‘The Ideas of 1914’ versus ‘The the longing for pan-European, overwhelming sense of unity across countries ideas of 1789’ -> they compared: transnational solutions of Europe -> Zweig believed the war frenzy Comradeship vs individualism; Spirituality But: many cultural critics envisaged a had revealed a deeper more primitive power vs materialism; Heroism vs decadence; leading role for their own nation in that manifested in European people that Unity vs disintegration; Authenticity vs Europe’s rejuvenation overcame the mundane features of industrial artificiality; Moral strength vs moral And: Europe’s self-esteem and sense of life weakness; Organismic world view vs superiority towards its colonies, proved to mechanistic world view; Profound, true be persistent The understanding of the war as a violent inward culture vs superficial, fabricated release of long-suppressed irrational, powers outward culture; Creativity vs bourgeois and hidden, primary instincts, and therefore mediocrity; Romanticism vs as a possible remedy to the prevailing Enlightenment. rationalism, materialism, disintegration, decadence and ‘lifelessness’ of modern France and UK society was informed by the thought of: Intellectuals emphasised that the war was a Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) -> the First result of Germany’s lust for power -> they World War confirmed the uncontrolled believed intrinsically barbarian (the Huns) power of human’s irrational drives The war propaganda of each side shared the Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and Henri common feature of depicting the enemy as Bergen (1859-1941): Philosophy of life/ the epitome of a superficial, corrupt Lebensphilosophie -> all adherents civilisation believed the existence of an irrational vital power hidden under the surface of The Crisis of European Civilisation the superficiality of modern life. In their WWI as a catalyst which exacerbated the understanding, man could only access dissatisfaction with modernity, and this irrational power through a process of invigorated a sense of crisis -> affirmation -> they believed by tapping demonstrates the destructive potential of into this would release man from the modernity and challenges the liberal, totality of his life -> it fiercely assaulted optimistic belief in progress of man -> the rational worldview of the bourgeois man could no longer control the forces of -> informed the ideas supporting national modernity that he had created himself strength readings Week 2 Because of common history of classical and Valéry recap: defined the situation as an Ifversen, The Crisis of European Civilization Christian context -> Also many authors who intellectual crisis by loss of existing points of After 1918 were satisfied with spiritual/intellectual unity orientation Europe after WO1: “crisis of civilization” -> all based on Enlightenment kinds of literature with different ideas were 1920s: a time of major re-evaluation and published (such as the readings from last Several paradoxes to this idea of European principal themes connected to “Europe” and week) E.g. Valéry claims that WO1 patriotism: “civilization”; paved the way to continuous “demystified” our European society except Opposes nationalist idea of particularism scrutiny and reassessment of these ideas up to Europe is “ill” and can’t see her own faults -> (based on blood community), while our present day Europe has separated itself from its “core” celebrating the idea of “rootedness” while spreading Universalism is undoubtedly part of the Valéry, “The Crisis of the Mind” (1919) Through modernity (materialism, technology glorified Enlightenment “We later civilizations … we know too we are and mass society) Europe is dissolving in the One cannot mourn the loss of European’s mortal” -> civilization has the same fragility world, because of globalisation Europe is superiority in the world, while at the same as life growing smaller -> How to counter time instructing Europeans to return to Valéry looks up to the German people, but destructive forces of modernity? the roots of civilization despises what they created with their great virtues Anti-modernism = the pessimistic belief that Important question of restoring European elite modern life was anything but the as they are the “representatives of the spirit” Europe felt that she was dying, until she consequences of progress -> Oswald regained consciousness during WO1; people Spengler’s “Decline of the West” as conceptual Keyserling: America embodies all the started reading books again and praying, framework for this, because: negativity of modernity, and Russia embodies looking for hope -> Intellectual crisis post- By shifting the perspective from crisis to the primitive spirit; clash will exist between WO1 won’t allow us to grasp its true extent decline, he enabled Europe’s predicament these two -> “Europe of the people” with all its Hope, Valéry argues, is only man’s mistrust of to be viewed in terms of a fundamental diversity -> Europe’s pluralist character / in clear foresight of his mind -> post-WO1 as a historical change dynamic terms period of immense confusion and sadness for Created an exhaustive list of the Nationalism as the cause of decline, where the all groups -> Future and past equally difficult destructive forces of modernity which primitive “mass man” destroyed European to pinpoint marked the end of culture and the civilization beginning of decadent civilization -> Modernism caused for the disorder in notions of traditional “barbarism” which In search for European unity, more European minds -> the free coexistence of will create a new culture Europeanists with positive, future-oriented dissimilar ideas, most contradictory principles Accommodates an essence of the West answers of life and learning rather than Europe, for Spengler wished to separate from the East (specifically Russia) Eurocentrist universalism = European values Valéry uses a figurative story of the European are universal “per se” Hamlet to talk about these confusing times, Ziegler + Massis with different ideas than Wells: WO1 had “broken down” civilization, Hamlet holding up many skulls (ideas), not Spengler on how to “save” Europe and technology had organised globalisation - knowing which one to pick, his mind growing (mainly(re-)Christianity) unification as the only way to save Europe dark (nations and borders as the real problem) Middle Ages as a “nostalgic utopia”; coming of Toynbee: Western civilization has the Life as more obscure and profound than death new Middle Age, with again notions of capacity to transform all others & everything relates to intellect medieval Christianity (e.g. Berdayev) Presently, Fukuyama: universalism reveals Almost) Everything came to Europe, and Guénon; uses the Orient to highlight the self- itself in the progressive march towards everything came from it. Only very ancient destruction of the West democracy (Westernization of the world?) connections with the idea of Europe “Postmodernism” not used in these times, But also: idea of European unity (both however parallels between this term and the political and cultural) -> e.g. Coudenhove- debate post-WO1 (not anti-modernism, for it Kalergi’s “Pan-Europa” does not aim to change the situation) However: Europe truly aseperationrl”/head of Vergès: loathes cosmopolitanism; democratic Another example of death cult: Osama bin the world order (because of the quality of leaders lack “the will to grandeur”; people in Laden (+ followers) -> far from mainstream her population, e.g. Greece founded democracy are also not easily persuaded to islam: using words like “insane” is more like geometry) -> this geometry was then used fight in war -> Happiness is solely Nazi language (Islam not a death cult) but! by everyone, emphasizing the “European Komfortismus Roots in cults of the Muslim world, e.g. genius” but increasing equality globally Thus: civilization, freedom and peace assassins -> Muslim martyr: shahid Because we thus “mingled” so much of the undermine the potential grandeur of a people, “European genius” from the rest of the world, nation or religion (lead to Komfortismus) -> West became directly associated with we need a clear seperation of the European Rebirth can only come from destruction and worship of money -> Muslim radicals in favor mind from the rest human sacrifice of a “holy war” against Westernization -> -> Thus: German-style ethnic nationalism as Kamikaze tactics used to commit suicide with Buruma and Margalit, “Heroes and an inspiration for non-Western bombs (Hezbollah) Merchants” (2004) intellectuals (against Western imperialism) View of the West as a decadent civilization Liberal democracy boring as a society: by other parts of the world such as Japan Best known example of human sacrifice: grandeous acts not committed by the people and Afghanistan -> “Cult of death” in many kamikaze / Tokkotai -> launch themselves by but by the individual -> Philosophy is that cultures (sacrificial death for the nation) plane/missile into group of enemies -> most people will live boring lives; liberals integral part of Japanese culture? -> often have accepted this. German idealism of “Kultur”, the notion of students of humanities at top universities, Everyday life must be nurtured, not roots and heroic Romantic idealism that who took inspiration of European writers (e.g. destroyed. -> this, of course, cannot satisfy they were the nation of poets and Nietzsche and Kant) people who desire grandeous lives; this is philosophers (not France) -> took military why mediocre men join e.g. fascist groups; to turn with Prussian war, WO1 & WO2 Japan mimicking and misinterpreting give a glimpse of glory by association Notion that Germany was “different” as the European ideas as a way to stay ahead of “Reich in the middle” and thus as a possible Europe -> creating a Western-style nation In the end, bourgeois liberal democracy enemy of the West -> “Kulturkampf” = state (Prussian) -> Believed that Christianity difficult to defend; taking their freedoms for German total rejection of everything was the “glue” that tied Europe together, and granted can make them prey for the enemies English/Western (non-German) therefore of the West Japan also needed some sort of “state” “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” as religion -> kamikaze appeared before, but in merchant ideals, which only serves the the form of dying for the emperor individual -> comfort as dull/passive, pleasure as positive/exciting -> death But also: radical Hindus in 1920s -> took over provides the rush, the spiritual edge that European fascist ideas to forge a “new man” separates Komfortismus from pleasure by instilling discipline and obedience -> race as the basic component of the modern Westoxification = pernicious influence of military nation Western ideas Wanted to examine the view of the West Belief: to submerge the individual in the in the eyes of the enemies of the West -> Hindu nation by denying individual desires main argument: the hatred of the west is and the validity of individual autonomy to a large extend fueled by self-criticism of Europeans on modernity -> turning Japanese students who committed/were the West against the West kamikaze at battle with their intellectual self: did not want to support military, but desired Komfortismus: for this lifestyle, money is purity by selfless death necessary (security and stability) -> liberal democracy thus most fitting for merchants (unheroic) -> “democratic mediocrity” Seminar 2 (13 november) Kamikaze missions were rooted in Japanese Toynbee: Western civilization has the Buruma and Margalit, “Heroes and culture, they were also shaped by Wersterns, capacity to transform all others Merchants” they did it as an act to try to get rid of Presently, Fukuyama: universalism reveals Argues how the “enemies” of Europe/the humiliation. They are inspired by Germany itself in the progressive march towards West think and Christianity in these ideas, they see their democracy (Westernization of the world?) In context of the times like 9/11 Emperor as a god which is opposed to Main argument is that the hatred of the Germans -> University students humanities To what extent are there in your opinion West is mainly the fault of self-criticism took these German visions in their kamikaze parallels between the debate of the 1920s of European intellectuals about modernity aspect and that of the one after 1989? The 1920s have both the pessimistic (more Middle Age- How is the “death cult”, and fascism related to Ifversen, “The Crisis of European y) look of doom and decay of the past as well the discontent with modern culture civilisation” as the optimistic look of progress towards according to Buruma and Margalit? “Death What’s the particular significance of the the future. After 1989 (specifically fall of cult” as the glorified idea of self-sacrifice to thought of Spengler for the debate about the Berlin Wall and SU) this optimistic look of “cleanse” your country and save it from crisis of European civilisation of the 1920s? progress was much more present. However, Komforfacism. Willingness to sacrifice Spengler’s thoughts also described as currently the debate about progress and themselves against weakness. Relates to framework for this crisis. He opposes idea of decay can be discontent with modernity because those progress, he believes history is driven by compared to that of the 1920s, due to the rise discontent with modernity write about it faith; all civilizations ego into decline in the of the right-extremists parties in the EU with “decadence” and a loss of heroism end. Western “Faustian” civilization has and their longing for traditionalism. through materialism. Komfortismus as an (now/then) reached this “end-phase”; our element of facism. civilization is doomed to collapse. Valéry, "The Crisis of the Mind" Comparable to ideas of Jean-Jacque What were the causes and symptoms of the What are in their view the roots of the Rousseau. "crisis of the European mind" according to identification of “the West” awith Valéry? “decadence”, and “Komfortismus”? The What kind of remedy’s did the participants of Komfortismus is the notion that Western the crisis debate suggest to cure the crisis of “We later civilizations … we know too we are society had become excessively focussed European Civilisation? mortal.” on the pursuit of comfort, safety, and Ziegler + Massis with different ideas than pleasure, at the expense of higher moral or Spengler on how to “save” Europe (mainly cultural values. The destruction caused by the (re-)Christianity) war led many intellectuals and political Middle Ages as a “nostalgic utopia”; thinker to view modern Western society as coming of new Middle Age, with again morally bankrupt, too focussed on individual notions of medieval Christianity (e.g. comfort and material wealth rather than on Berdayev) collective ideals or national strength Guénon; uses the Orient to highlight the German nationalism was seen as the self-destruction of the West opposite of France during romanticism But also: idea of European unity (both political and cultural) -> e.g. To what extend should the Kamikaze Coudenhove-Kalergi’s “Pan-Europa” operations be considered a product of Keyserling: America embodies all the Japanese culture, and to what extent are they negativity of modernity, and Russia informed by Western ideas? Partly Japanese embodies the primitive spirit; clash will traditions, but also the West turning against exist between these two the West. Misinterpreted European critics of Wells: WO1 had “broken down” Western ideas (by Japanese). Kamikaze -> civilization, and technology had Japanese soldiers would commit suicide organised globalisation - unification as whom total war where all aspects of society the only way to save Europe (nations and are mobilised for the national effort (Western borders as the real problem) concept) -> Lecture 3: Imagining Europe, anti-Americanism, and the allurement of “the orient” (18 November) Critics (i.e. John Mackenzie): European Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) Europe vis-à-vis “the East” or “the Orient” representations of ‘the Orient’ are not Tagore’s message of a cultural (unmodern, unspoiled, lags behind Europe) exclusively informed by economic and regeneration through a synthesis between -> The East lacked behind Europe, and political imperialism; cultural factors (such East and West appealed to many after WW1 therefore was seen as a primitive as a discontent with Europe’s decadent -> he was idolized in the Eastern areas of community where a true and profound industrial-capitalist society) played a role Europe spirituality still existed as well. Europe vis-à-vis America (modern, spoiled, Count Hermann Keyserling (1880-1946) ahead of Europe) -> anti-americanism -> Peter Rietbergen (2007): Europe’s Hermann Keyserling in his book published America in the eyes of European fascination for the Orient as a in 1919, described his journey through India intellectuals was considered to be too manifestation of Europe’s quest for its and advocated for humans to travel across modern, a place where modernity had historical roots, and identity. -> the the world as a way to gain higher insight gone too far and resulted in extreme envisaged roots of European civilization into life capitalism, materialism and consumerism were often placed outside of Europe Examples: Notion of ancient Egypt as the Fascination for India in the 1960s Imagology cradle of Europe’s civilization, Biblical This renewed fascination with the East Auto-image (representation of the Self) Orientalism (some religious leader located centred upon India -> as a spiritual versus hetero-image (representation of Palestine as the heart of Christianity), or homeland the Other) -> Hetero-images are cultural the Romantic-nationalist belief in a The novel Siddhartha by Hesse gained constructions and are constructed against connection between Germany and ancient the status of a cult novel by the 1960s auto-images, thus studying the ways India (especially in the USA) -> the book tells Europeans deemed the Orient and America the story of the self-discovery of shows how Europeans actually defined The ‘authentic’ and ‘unspoilt’ Orient as an Siddhartha and appealed to Europeans themselves antidote to Europe’s cultural decay for its spiritual message and promoted Constructivist approach -> but: images Became fashionable in the Romantic era, a love for nature and rejection of don’t have to be true, to have real social and again in the last decades of the 19th authority effects century The Hari Krishna community was Entailed a stereotype binary opposition founded in 1966 in America, and the Orientalism between Europe/’the West’ versus ‘the Hippie Trail also flourished in this Edward Said, Orientalism (1978): Orient’ decade -> emphasising the European “Orientalism can be discussed and wish of self-discovery analyzed as the corporate institution for Japonisme The Beatles trip to India attracted the dealing with the Orient - dealing with it Claude Monet, Madame Monet en costume media and further enhanced the by making statements about it, japonais (1876) Western fascination for India authorizing views of it, describing it, by Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of Père Tanguy teaching it, settling it, ruling over it: in (1887) Russia in Western European eyes short, Orientalism as a Western style for As a result of rapid industrialisation 18th century: image of Russia as a dominating, restructuring, and having and modernisation many artists drew ‘barbaric’ and ‘oriental despotic’ nation authority over the Orient” from styles that were considered to be gives way to the image of Russia as a Said convincingly pointed between the popular in the East -> and were seen as ‘transit zone’ between ‘civilized’ Western link between Orientalism and Imperialism a contrast to a mundane, overly Europe and ‘uncivilized’, ‘despotic’ Asia -> Said explained that patronising images rational artistic style of modern During and after the Napoleonic Wars: of the East were a product of imperialism Europe -> Van Gogh drew inspiration Czar Alexander I had become an and these images were instrumentalised to from Japanese prints in his work at the important ally against France -> and exert power over European colonies end of the 19th century Russia was then considered to be one of Through using negative stereotypes to the major powers of Europe -> as a result, describe the Orient, European scholars, in Russia was then praised as a stronghold turn, then exaggerated the strength of of conservatism and of traditional values Europe and justified the colonial project ->  Another result for the assertive seemed to also reaffirm Russia’s Russian literature as the key to the alleged geopolitical role of Russia in the potential as Bolshevik ideas therapeutic effect of the ‘Russian soul’ Napoleonic Wars, Russia was feared as a stemmed from Austrian-born Karl Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) threat to national sovereignty and many Marx’s philosophy Works of Dostoevsky appealed because of feared an invasion It was not communism that appealed his fierce assault of modern rationalism -> Second half 19th century: the Crimean War to European intellectuals but the Dostoevsky was regarded as a tremendous caused insecurity about Russia’s course -> alleged, unique, unpredictable Russian psychologist who was able to expose a on the one hand, Russia was seen as a national strength -> the Bolsheviks hidden and unconscious world were autocratic and backward country but on had managed to maintain their rule primary instincts were in control -> he the other hand, Russia had also been a against heavy resistance and Allied offered a solution for Europe by declaring breeding ground for socialist ideas -> and intervention in the Civil War the pan-human Russian soul was able to relationship with Europe is channeled In the 1920s, Arthur Moeller was a reconcile Europe’s contractions and was through the construction of a European leading figure in the conservative able to bring about a Christian hetero-image of Russia as a ‘mysterious’ movement against the liberalism of brotherhood of man nation -> a nation with a unique Russian the Weimar Republic -> in his book soul -> this stereotypical hetero-image of presented both Germany and Russia America as Europe’s child, in whom Europe Russia was often associated with a as young nations with a strong can see its past as well as its future negative view that Russians were a flexible vital energy -> Moeller believed the and malleable people that were susceptible Russian Revolution could serve as to political experiments such as an example for Germans that longed revolutions for a vigorous rebirth of their nation The view from cultural critics Russian spiritually, true Christianity and Nikolai Berdyaev (1874-1948) devoutness versus Western materialism The New Middle Ages (1924) and rationalism Berdyaev was a popular philosopher who Russia’s unique talent for spontaneous dreamt of the New Middle Ages -> he compassion and universal human predicted the end of liberalism and he solidarity versus the disintegration, predicted the beginning of the New Middle egotism and artificial, obligatory Christian Ages in Europe, this new future would be charity of Western society characterized by a profound christian Russia’s irrational vital energy versus solidarity and life in harmonious organic Europe’s lethargy and decadence communities (Nietzsche) J The Western European perception of Primitivism Futurism Russia as a spiritual entity informed Positive Literary works in which Native Americans are Kultur versus zivilisationalitarianism were interest in Russian culture and literature depicted as ‘noble savages’ as examples of associated with America as a land of endless in the Fin de Siècle (especially in national heroes. America was seen as a counter opportunities. Intellectuals were also admired Germany) -> Europeans thought that to an old and decadent Europe as it was: free, America’s technological innovations. Russian literature was an important source innocent and filled with youthful vitality Tocqueville promoted this developments in his in studying the irrational drive of book ‘De la Democratie en Amerique’ mankind Negative Complaints were made that Americans were Intellectuals believed that modernity in America This renewed interest in Russia after WW1 rude and uncivilised and their culture was had gone way to far: High consumerism, high was a result of the pre-WW1 sense of labelled superficial. The notion of America as a materialism, levelling of culture and hyper cultural crisis in mainland Europe: country that lacks history, historical awareness individualism. Kultur versus zivilisation was The 1917 Revolution seemed to or historical consciousness. This resulted in the now applied to Europe versus America and not inform the Otherness and view that Americans lacked true cohesion as just a product of German nationalism during Easternness of Russia -> the event they didn’t care about their historical roots WW2 had instigated the fear of the barbarism of Russia, but the event Readings Week 3 Two elements of Russian culture anticipated Dostoyevsky: imported scientism and Buruma & Margalit, “The Mind of the West” Occidentalism: utilitarianism as a dangerous, deluded (2005) (1) The stress on intellectualism in Christianity ideology The mind of the West, according to was a sign, according to Russian believers, Occidentalists, is one that is good in economic that it was lacking pure-hearted faith Tagore, “East and West” (1922) and technological advances; but is too stupid (2) Deep suspicion of any innovation - was Men of the West as people who get agitated for the higher self, for spirituality deemed humiliating, as if something would quickly when their habits are disturbed -> be wrong with the old ways thus a failure as travelers; have gotten too Plotinus: distinction between discursive used to their mental-easy chairs and home (intellect) and nondiscursive (soul) thinking -> Mysticism = expressing higher mode of comforts Western brain thus only good for the existence - valued more than methodology “We hardly meet men; only specimens of discursive, for rational thinking; but not Strategy of domination by complication in knowledge” -> thus: behavior to new people finding the “right” way Catholic Church can be insensitive and cruel The “Russian soul” as the same as the Western Peter the Great of Russia as a different stance In the West, people have a certain collective mind -> Slavophiles = 19th century Russia towards the West; it should now be idea that obscures their humanity -> the nativist thinkers viewed as an inspiration; something to effect of the West upon the East is without measure Russia by -> culture and literature any humanity -> contrary to Japan, where France as a (past) power that “ruled” the West; from the West now imported there is deep delight of hospitality hurtful for Germany, who expressed their political viewpoints through literature and So: German Romanticism not just a literary/ Utilitarianism of West causing pain in Eastern ideas -> German Romanticism artistic movement, but had social and countries, with passion for power and wealth -> Counter-Enlightenment (optimistic, while political implications -> Schelling and his idea Dominant collective idea in Western countries Romanticism about fall and redemption) that the universe is an organism is to educate and thus not creative -> West Romantic politics: innocence to fall, nostalgia will use the East and destroy it Kireyevsky (Occidentalist): thought ill of the The Divine in different areas: nature, history rationale of the Western world: reasonableness -> Anecdote of Hammagren, who came to and the human soul as the “epitome of the non-heroic mind” Bengal to tutor students, and use that money Belief of Romanticism: excessive rationalism to buy books for the poor students - he died had caused terminal decay of the vital Hamlet as an example of over-intellectualizing there, in his completely selfless act organism of the West life, reluctant to take action: “to be or not to -> “suffering as the great educator” / the be” However: Tangore argues that the justice and reason of the heart truth, the spirit for the welfare of man, have -> Dovstoyevsky argued that the peasant man Nazi Führerprinzip: the ability to make a been a great inspiration in the Western is wisest, for he follows his instinct, decision was worshipped for its own sake, countries -> it is thus great sadness that the is not intellectual and seeks salvation in the regardless of its content; a leader gains its West is increasing their civilisation right place (God) power through this ability Is the overgrown power of the West really great, can it bring peace? Russia divided and chaotic, until: “Russian Nietzche”: Leontiv: believed that the Moscow as the spiritual centre of Russia (due West was at its last stage of decay -> Russia, History of India: a great personality is one to head of Orthodox Church being as a young culture, could be saved with love for all creatures there) -> “the third Rome” / “Muscovy kingdom” Occidentalism = the expression of bitter West has sent out its humanity to the East to -> Contrary to Moscow, lot of theology on resentment towards the offensive display of meet its machine, not the men Christianity in the West superiority by the West, based on alleged -> Conscious decision of Moscow; religion is superiority of reason The man from the East, with his faith in the spirituality, not geometry eternal, must come to the West with the spirit In Russia, scientistic believers included of creativeness -> however, the East must also nihilists -> science as the only key to human find her own balance in science knowledge Kroes, “American Culture in European America as free from the burdens/decay of America as a harbor for modernity; as a Methaphors Europe; as a place where class and status fall possibility of what Europe could become -> Kroes speaks of multiple myths made up away exception from these ideas” Ortega y Gasset about America, even before it was However: Melville argues that this absence of discovered, such as “the lost paradise”, but European forms constitutes an American According to Ter Braak, the ingredient t also fear and horror of what this land loss; there is a “poverty of material” Europeans is the devotion to the probing of could contain -> e.g. “Navigatio Sancti -> For newly Americans: their cultural meaning and sense -> a reflex of survival Brendani” and Dante’s “Divina Comedia” nationalism was infused with a feeling of against all the dull mechanization in the Also: Adam and Eve’s expulsion from paradise inferiority towards Europe world; of self-assertion Columbus even compared to Noah, as he also -> Argued by European writers that culture Huizinga shares opinion; clear distinction of sets out to sea for discovery -> He himself would never have full bloom there Europeans to Americans was deeply convinced of having reached the terrestrial paradise Goddess Columbia as a version of Columbus; However, important to note that American the one who shall guide America -> America authors indulge in anti-Americanism a lot This “paradise” was originally imagined as the shining example to the rest of the world too (e.g. Van Wyck Brooks) without people; but when America was Philosophers such as Camus and Sartre talked discovered by Europeans, they found new Thus, two visions of America: about the tragic sense of life in America people and cultures 1. America as an emptiness, a clean slate and its “absence” of something open for renewal, compared to a European -> Cold rationality of white Americans Question of to convert these people to culture that is old and full of decay compared to the “soul” Christianity or make them slaves -> argued 2. America as an emptiness, but in the sense -> America as incredibly “superficial” that they should be converted; they are “born that it is lacking Europe’s rich cultural -> Film as a method to spread this; for it kills free” for being born in “the land of the free” heritage (present vision) the individualism but solely entertains -> the later habitants of North America applied this to themselves as well, not Stereotypes of Americans made by Europeans; Mass-production-for-mass-consumption- knowing it was originally meant for often metaphors or clichés -> calling culture -> no individualism; but people based indigenous people Americans shallow or superficial, but on constant socialisation; “following the Europeans also think of themselves movements of the school”/mass And; were these people kind-hearted or that way -> but also: calling America “young” untamed savage cannibals? -> continued and “new” Anti-capitalism and anti-Americanism started stereotype that the American rejects Americans looking more to dollars, different to blend in with one another civilization “value” of things America as a place to become a “new man”, Metaphors in 3 different dimensions: (1) also for slaves and servants -> Europeans use the imagery of metaphors to metaphors of high versus low, depth versus create stereotypes for Americans flatness; (2) the sense of time, the passing of Central image of civilization and culture as a Stereotypes of Americans by Europeans in 2 it; (3) the combined effects of space and time threatened enclave in savage surroundings states: (when the Puritans of came to Northern 1. Stereotypes/habits seen as “typically American politics; public discourse will be America (“New England”)) American” far from European more appealing in mass democracy than -> they were the handful of chosen people to 2. Stereotypes of America as seen as academic sources (Tocqueville) -> American create a “New Jerusalem” in America Europe’s (possible) future (of decay) journalists avoid intellectualism to gain -> only by settlement by white Europeans -> America as corrupting and perverting of attention -> according to Huizinga, a would America come to its full potential European values/cultural standards regression of culture America as a tabula rasa = a blank page that Tocqueville: equality and individualism (as Europeans, because of their history, the only could be filed as they saw fit invented by him) “The greater the extent of ones who can see the deeper layers of the equality, the more insatiable the taste for it American society; even the Americans cannot Theme of “translatio imperii”, the “westward becomes.” -> individualism as prohibited by because they are part of it course of the empire” (Berkley) -> conquest of the collective (+ everything is surface level) American West/education of Native Americans Because of their mass production, America had Seminar 3 (20 November) And what’s the characteristic of the “Russian no authenticity left in its products Lecture: soul” which they oppose to the “mind of the either Saïd’s explanation of Orientalism tells us that West”? The “Russian soul” as completely the West portrays the East a certain opposite to the Western mind; it was not Americans feel no connection to European way, being ”spiritual and “pure”, however this technological at all but in-depth, filled with history, desire to create own civilization -> could just be the mirroring of their own mysticism and spirituality; closest to God and Americans show a characteristic talent for view of the West as that of decadence the “old ways”. cultural dissolution mixed with an ingenuous nonconventionality that strikes many America as an important them: as Europe’s What are the domestic and foreign sources of a European observer as a cultural child and hopeless future of modernity, Russian Occidentalism according to Buruma deficiency. materialism and consumerism and Margalit? Two elements of Russian culture -> Americans as only speaking the language of anticipated Occidentalism: money Kroes, "American culture in European 1. The stress on intellectualism in metaphors" Christianity was a sign, according to Baudrillard: America offers the liberation from America thus a place of both sides: egalitarian Russian believers, that it was lacking pure- conceptual imprisonment; because force which leads to equality, but very hearted faith Europe as (/thinking of) nostalgic utopians; materialistic; this can mean a new land for 2. Deep suspicion of any innovation - was America is what Europe wanted to become progress and innovation, but also of decay, deemed humiliating, as if something because they are free from over-complicated sin and consumerism would be wrong with the old ways German thoughts romanticist writers (such as Schelling and Helsinga: America only interested in present Nietzsche) inspired these Slavophiles for Emancipation in America seen as a battle for and past; why media is sensational the origin of their ideas linguistic control Idea that America is about consumerism still In which way does Tagore represent “the East” Derrida: "L'Amérique, mais c'est Ia very present nowadays vis-a-vis “the West”, and why is a synthesis déconstruction! " needed in his view? “Passion of the West” as a Buruma and Margalit text & Tagore text passion to educate and advance, sometimes a How’s the “mind of the West” portrayed by destructive force. 19th century Russian Slavophiles? The Western mind is good for technological advances, but is arrogant and lacks soul and depth, and will use the right ways for the Important themes/stereotypes in America: wrong end. J Tabula rasa Time and Cohesion Life on the surface Positive America as a “New America as 60s low Jerusalem” innovative and culture New country/place, progressive space for innovation Progress of Sometimes even modernity referencing Noah and the River of Eden Early ideas of freedom in America Negative Young/shallow/blank Obsession with lack of cultural Treatment native materialism/wealth depth Americans; as rather than history/ barbarians, cannibals, culture etc. America seen as Europe’s future and mirror Lecture 4: The politics of cultural despair (25 November) Fritz Stern, The Politics of Cultural Despair Or as a form of ‘reactionary modernism’ Intellectual sources of Fascism (1961) -> he analyses the origins of National (term coined by Jeffrey Herf to 1. Elitism and a rejection of democracy Socialism; he systematically linked the rise of characterize Nazism and the Conservative Central to elitism is the idea that society Nazism with the critique of modernity. He Revolution) -> Nazism combined a should resemble a hierarchical pyramid, describes the anti-liberal, anti-Semitic rejection of liberalism with a great with a strong leader at the top -> intellectual movement (in regard to Germany) enthusiasm for modern technology meaning the general public should not that arose in the century before Consensus view: is that actually Fascism have the right to vote Paul Lagarde (1827-1891) -> argued that and existing modernity went hand-in- Ideas surrounding society as a ‘living Germany had to create a national form of hand -> fascism was the product of an organism’ added to this, as it was Christianity that should be purged for advanced urban society and a reaction thought everyone had their own specific Jewish elements -> he influenced the idea against modernity, but fascism was also a role to play to contribute to the societal of an Aryan Jesus modernising force of itself that strove to structure -> playing to their capacity and Julius Langbehn (1851-1907) -> nationalist provide an alternative to modernity with strength -> this meant the stronger the art historian and philosopher -> wrote a their emphasis on the ‘new man’ individual, the more of a guiding role book praising Rembrandt as the epitome they would play in society of a Southern German race -> praised art Roger Griffin Vilfredo Pareto’s ideas of elitism are said over science He believed the Fascist minimum to have strong influence on Mussolini Arthur Moeller van den Bruck (1876-1925) common denominator is palingenetic Elitist views, as well a fear of the masses -> one of the leading figures in the (national rebirth) nationalism -> the and parliamentary democracy, were conservative anti-democratic movement essential characteristic is its core myth of expressed at the Fin De Siècle -> many in the 1920s -> important ambassador of a revolution to achieve a national cultural critics, then, unintentionally the literary works of Dostoevsky -> regeneration helped fascist philosophers of the 1920s emphasised the idea of the Third Reich in Griffin has defined Fascism as ‘a justify their distain against liberal his book published at the beginning of the revolutionary form of nationalism, one democracy 1920s that sets out to be a political, ethical and All three men deeply despised liberalism -> as social revolution, welding the ‘people’ 2. Anti-materialism they believed liberalism was the main feature into a dynamic national community Fascism as a ‘Third Way’, and as a of modernity, which they outrightly under new elites infused with heroic spiritual force that opposes ‘materialistic’ condemned. They shared the belief that an values … cathartic national rebirth can liberal capitalism as well as ’materialistic’ organic nationalism unity of the folk had to stem the tide of decadence’ Marxian socialism be restored to save Germany from cultural Griffin stresses the main motivation Zeev Sternhell: