Historian, philosopher, critic, playwright, journalist, and actor,
Egon Friedell was a key figure in the extraordinary flowering of
Viennese culture between the two world wars. His masterpiece, A
Cultural History of the Modern Age, demonstrates the intellectual
universality that Friedell saw as guarantor of the continuity and
regeneration of European civilization. Following a brilliant
opening essay on cultural history and why it should be studied, the
first volume begins with an analysis of the transformation of the
Medieval mind as it evolved from the Black Death to the Thirty
Years War. The emphasis is on the spiritual and cultural vortex of
civilization, but Friedell never forgets the European roots in
pestilence, death, and superstition that animate a contrary drive
toward reason, refinement, intellectual curiosity, and scientific
knowledge. While these values reached their apogee during the
Renaissance, Friedell shows that each cultural victory is
precarious, and Europe was always in danger of slipping back into
barbarism. Friedell's historical vision embraces the whole of
Western culture and its development. It is a consistent probing for
the divine in the world's course and is, therefore, theology; it is
research into the basic forces of the human soul and is, therefore,
psychology; it is the most illuminating presentation of the forms
of state and society and, therefore, is politics; the most varied
collection of all art-creations and is, therefore, aesthetics.
Thomas Mann regarded Friedell as one of the great stylists in the
German language. Like the works of the great novelist, A Cultural
History of the Modern Age offers a dramatic history of the last six
centuries, showing the driving forces of each age. The new
introduction provides a fascinating biographical sketch of Friedell
and his cultural milieu and analyzes his place in intellectual
history.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
