Making Way for Genius - The Aspiring Self in France from the Old Regime to the New (Hardcover)

Examining the lives and works of three iconic personalities -Germaine de Stael, Stendhal, and Georges Cuvier-Kathleen Kete creates a groundbreaking cultural history of ambition in post-Revolutionary France. While in the old regime the traditionalist view of ambition prevailed-that is, ambition as morally wrong unless subsumed into a corporate whole-the new regime was marked by a rising tide of competitive individualism. Greater opportunities for personal advancement, however, were shadowed by lingering doubts about the moral value of ambition. Kete identifies three strategies used to overcome the ethical "burden" of ambition: romantic genius (Stael), secular vocation (Stendhal), and post-mythic destiny (Cuvier). In each case, success would seem to be driven by forces outside one's control. She concludes by examining the still relevant (and still unresolved) conundrum of the relationship of individual desires to community needs, which she identifies as a defining characteristic of the modern world.

General

Imprint:	Yale University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	May 2012
First published:	May 2012
Authors:	Kathleen Kete
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	256
ISBN-13:	978-0-300-17482-3
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > European history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Social & political philosophy Books > History > European history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Social & political philosophy Promotions
LSN:	0-300-17482-9
Barcode:	9780300174823

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