Political symbolism in modern Europe : essays in honour of George L. Mosse

By collectively concentrating on the theme of political symbolism in modern Europe, the contributors to this volume have chosen to honor a revered teacher and colleague by developing a set of variations on one of his primary scholarly concerns. The essays deal with familiar domains in the history of European culture: religion, science, philosophy, theater, popular culture, and social ideologies. They attempt to focus on their individual subjects as studies of the ways in which the terms of cultural discourse have been shaped and elaborated by social position and the inherently political nature of such discourse. The essays also trace attempts to capture assent or compliance to particular world views which have had profound cultural and political consequences. Many es-says deal with the vocabularies of strategically located elites con-sciously or unconsciously shap-ing discourse to enhance their role in the Eruopean social hierar-chy. Others turn to the problem of the dynamics of symbolic recep-tion and reception by popular au-diences. A third group of thematic essays deals with case studies of world views dominated by political metaphors of group identityand differentiation which became dominant in Western Europe to-ward the end of the nineteenth century—class, nation, sex, age, and race. The essays in the volume deal with: George Mosse and political symbolism; the medical model of cultural crisis in fin de siecle France; cultural uses of "fatigue" in the nineteenth century; Mar-burg neo-Kantian thought and German popular culture; the Ostjude as a cultural symbol in German anti-Semitism; the func-tion of myth and symbol in Georges Sorel; feminism and eugenics in Edwardian England; Darwinism and the working class in Germany; science and religion in early modern Europe; popular theater and socialism in fin de siecle France; political symbolism in the paintings of the German war of liberation; generational discourse in pre-World War I France; and cultural implications of national-socialist religion. By collectively concentrating on the theme of political symbolism in modern Europe, the con-tributors to this volume have cho-sen to honor a revered teacher and colleague by developing a set of variations on one of his primary scholarly concerns. The essays deal with familiar domains in the history of European culture: reli-gion, science, philosophy, theater, popular culture, and social ideologies. They attempt to focus on their individual subjects as studies of the ways in which the terms of cultural discourse have been shaped and elaborated by social position and the inherently political nature of such discourse. The essays also trace attempts to capture assent or compliance to particular world views which have had profound cultural and political consequences. Many es-says deal with the vocabularies of strategically located elites con-sciously or unconsciously shap-ing discourse to enhance their role in the Eruopean social hierar-chy. Others turn to the problem of the dynamics of symbolic recep-tion and reception by popular au-diences. A third group of thematic essays deals with case studies of world views dominated by politi-cal metaphors of group identityand differentiation which became dominant in Western Europe to-ward the end of the nineteenth century--class, nation, sex, age, and race.The essays in the volume deal with: George Mosse and political symbolism; the medical model of cultural crisis in fin de siecle France; cultural uses of "fatigue" in the nineteenth century; Mar-burg neo-Kantian thought and German popular culture; the Ostjude as a cultural symbol in German anti-Semitism; the func-tion of myth and symbol in Georges Sorel; feminism and eugenics in Edwardian England; Darwinism and the working class in Germany; science and religion in early modern Europe; popular theater and socialism in fin de siecle France; political symbolism in the paintings of the German war of liberation; generational discourse in pre-World War I France; and cultural implications of national-socialist religion.-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: George Mosse and Political Symbolism Part I: The Language of Cultural Crisis 1: Degeneration and the Medical Model of Cultural Crisis in the French Belle Époque 2: The Body without Fatigue: A Nineteenth-Century Utopia 3: Practical Reason in Wilhelmian Germany: Marburg Neo-Kantian Thought in Popular Culture 4: Caftan and Cravat: The Ostjude as a Cultural Sym bol in the Development o f German Anti-Semitism 5: Myth and Symbol in Georges Sorel Part II: Science, Myth, and Ideology 6: Feminism, Fertility, and Eugenics in Victorian and Edwardian England 7: Darwinism and the Working Class in Wilhelmian Germany 8: Science and Religion in Early Modern Europe Part III: Political Discourse and Cultural Symbols 9: Popular Theater and Socialism in Late-Nineteenth-Century France 10: Dashed Hopes: On the Painting of the Wars of Liberation Photo Essay 11: The Nature and Function of Generational Discourse in France on the Eve of World War I 12: Man in the Natural World: Some Implications of the National-Socialist Religion Part IV: Teaching and Politics: George Mosse in the Pulpit 13: GLM: An Appreciation 14: With George Mosse in the 1960 About the Contributors Index Introduction: Drescher, S., Sabean, D., and Sharlin, A. George Mosse and political symbolism. The language of cultural crisis: Nye, R. A. Degeneration and the medical model of cultural crisis in the French Belle Époque. Rabinbach, A. The body without fatigue in nineteenth century utopia. Keck, T. Practical reason in Wilhelmian Germany. Aschheim, S. E. Caftan and cravat. Gross, D. Myth and symbol in Georges Sorel. Science, myth, and ideology: Soloway, R. A. Feminism, fertility, and eugenics in Victorian and Edwardian England. Kelly, A. H. Darwinism and the working class in Wilhelmian Germany. Koenigsberger, H. G. Science and religion in early modern Europe. Political discourse and cultural symbols: Scott, J. W. Popular theater and socialism in late nineteenth century France. Hermand, J. Dashed hopes. Lachance, P. F. The nature and function of generational discourse in France on the eve of World War I. Pois, R. A. Man in the natural world. Teaching and politics: Fishman, S. GLM: an appreciation. Breines, P. With George Mosse in the 1960s.