Fears and Symbols : An Introduction to the Study of Western Civilization

Giving a panoramic view of Western civilisation, this study is based on the central role that the author believes fear and anxiety have played as the organising motives of human existence and social life. Hankiss argues that existential security has been a major factor in the generation of civilisations, perhaps even more important than the mainstream theories of culture offered by Kant, Freud and Foucault. In order to mitigate fear, human beings and communities have surrounded themselves in two ways. The first being through house and city walls, with instruments and weapons, laws and institutions. Secondly, with the protective sphere of symbols: myths and religions, values and belief systems, ideas and scientific theories, moral and practical rules of behaviour, and a wide range of everyday rituals and trivialities. Hankiss pays particular attention to the role of symbols and symbolic systems in contemporary societies. Fears and Symbols provides a panoramic view of civilization and is written in a lively and informative style that will have wide-ranging appeal. Containing a wealth of facts, Hankiss’ landmark study is based on the central role fear and anxiety has played as the organizing motives of human existence and social life.

Hankiss argues that existential insecurity has been a major factor in the generation of civilizations; it may have been more important than factors and forces proposed by mainstream theories of civilization. Hankiss covers a plethora of subjects by which he explains that, in order to mitigate fear, human beings and communities have surrounded themselves-not only with the walls of their houses and cities, with instruments and weapons, laws and institutions, but also-with the protective spheres of symbols: myths and religions, values and belief systems, ideas and scientific theories, moral and practical rules of behaviour, and a wide range of everyday rituals and trivialities. Hankiss pays particular attention to the role of symbols and symbolic systems in contemporary societies.

Fears and Symbols is an encyclopedic study that will be of interest not only across all levels of study, covering many disciplines but will also appeal to the general reader.

Hankiss (sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) surveys the major theories of civilization and develops a new hypothesis, according to which existential fear has been a major factor in generating human culture. Citing many examples, he contends that the struggle for safety and freedom, a for meaningful life, and for dignity appears not only in the great human symbolic systems, but also in the most trivial everyday activities. The Hungarian original, Az emberi kaland was published by Helikon Kiad=, Budapest, in 1999. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Providing a panoramic view of civilization, this study is based on the central role that the author believes fear and anxiety have played as the organising motives of human existence and social life.