Search Results

The Talents

Anna Wierzbicka

in What Did Jesus Mean?: Explaining the Sermon on the Mount and the Parables in Simple and Universal Human Concepts

This chapter argues that the parable of the Talents is aimed at all people rather than at this or that particular group, as has often been argued in the literature. It points out that as in a number ... More

This chapter argues that the parable of the Talents is aimed at all people rather than at this or that particular group, as has often been argued in the literature. It points out that as in a number of other parables, Jesus uses the narrative strategy of comparing God to a morally dubious character – here, a harsh and merciless master – while at the same time conveying the message that God is merciful and can be trusted, and that people should use their God‐given gifts with courage and in freedom. The chapter discusses the impact of the metaphor of the talents on European civilization and links that metaphor with the Western emphasis on enterprise, initiative, individual freedom of action, and personal responsibility. Some of the key components of the parable's message are articulated as follows:I know: I can do some good thingsbecause God does good things for meI know: God wants me to do these thingsI want to do these things because of thisLess

Civilizing the Other: Colonial Origins of International Law

Natsu Taylor Saito

in Meeting the Enemy: American Exceptionalism and International Law

This chapter examines the emergence of contemporary international law in the context of the Crusades. More specifically, it considers the notion of civilizing the infidel Other and how it provided ... More

This chapter examines the emergence of contemporary international law in the context of the Crusades. More specifically, it considers the notion of civilizing the infidel Other and how it provided the ideological underpinnings of the Crusades as well as Europe's “Age of Discovery.” The chapter begins with an overview of the history of the Crusades and goes on to discuss Franciscus de Vitoria's arguments that laid the foundation for an international jurisprudence in the early sixteenth century. It then explains how the presumption of the superiority of European civilization facilitated colonialism and legitimated the violence it entailed. It also outlines themes that continue to shape contemporary international relations and American exceptionalism's resonance in the “civilized” world.Less

Subjectivities and Institutions

Tejumola Olaniyan

in Scars of Conquest/Masks of Resistance: The Invention of Cultural Identities in African, African-American and Caribbean Drama

African dramatists' discourses have empowered post-Afrocentric thoughts and territories (quoted in this chapter as space), which generally offset the imperialist and discriminative ideas of European ... More

African dramatists' discourses have empowered post-Afrocentric thoughts and territories (quoted in this chapter as space), which generally offset the imperialist and discriminative ideas of European civilizations. Although there are attempts to realize cultural identity after the colonialism period, the next possible question is the actuality of the “space,” even without the contradicted supporting frameworks and conceptual foundations contributed by European institutions. In other words, given the oppressive acts toward “others,” Western culture has awoken other civilizations to their own “frame of reference,” from concepts and terms to practices and standards, especially in the field of education. This does not necessarily mean that “black” people or all non-European nations and cultures should be grateful; instead, this implies the recognition that the current ideas of history and tradition of a particular society cannot be totally assumed as “pure,” due to the unexpected and oftentimes, unacknowledged, influence of “others,” whether regarded as inferior or dominant.Less

 Coming of Age in the Great War: 1914–1919

William Taussig Scott and Martin X. Moleski

in Michael Polanyi: Scientist and Philosopher

Polanyi served as a medical officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. As time allowed, he worked on the Nernst Heat Theorem, a novel theory about the adsorption of gases and the paradoxes associated with ... More

Polanyi served as a medical officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. As time allowed, he worked on the Nernst Heat Theorem, a novel theory about the adsorption of gases and the paradoxes associated with isotopes. His experience of war left him with a life-long concern about understanding the strength of the liberal tradition that had enriched European civilization from 1870 to 1914 as well as the loss of faith in the tradition that had led Europe down the path of self-destruction.Less

Georges Dumézil: Myth, Ideology, Sovereignty

Richard Kearney

in Debates in Continental Philosophy: Conversations with Contemporary Thinkers

Georges Dumézil's work is primarily linguistic, or, to be more precise, philosophical. That is, the classification and interpretation of ... More

Georges Dumézil's work is primarily linguistic, or, to be more precise, philosophical. That is, the classification and interpretation of ancient myths in terms of textual structures or types. His first concern was to discover what the earliest texts of the various Indo-European civilizations might have in common, what similarities of function might exist in different mythic or religious orders to suggest a shared source. Eventually, he discerned the “Ideology of the Three Functions”—Sovereignty, Force, and Fecundity—firstly in texts representative of diverse layers of Vedic, Germanic, and Roman civilization. This led Dumézil to ascertain that there existed a specific conception of the three functions in all of the Indo-European cultures from India to Ireland. In short, philology enabled him to posit the existence of an underlying Indo-European ideology.Less

The Spirit of Modern Europe: ca. 1900

W. E. B. DU BOIS

Nahum Dimitri Chandler (ed.)

in The Problem of the Color Line at the Turn of the Twentieth Century: The Essential Early Essays

This chapter presents an essay by W. E. B. Du Bois that discusses the trend and meaning of modern European civilization. It first defines the meaning of the somewhat shadowy term, civilization. It ... More

This chapter presents an essay by W. E. B. Du Bois that discusses the trend and meaning of modern European civilization. It first defines the meaning of the somewhat shadowy term, civilization. It then sketches in broad outline the concrete signs of culture in the aptly called Culture-States; discovers behind this picture the elements that combine to be the Spirit of Europe; and shows how that spirit does and ought to affect the American Negro. It argues that Europe currently stands for a systematic and continuous union of individual effort to promote Justice and Freedom by means of Knowledge and Authority.Less

Two

Bruno Maçães

in History Has Begun: The Birth of a New America

This chapter examines the meaning of America, which is present as much in the great books written about the American experiment as in the most practical elements of its politics and economic life. It ... More

This chapter examines the meaning of America, which is present as much in the great books written about the American experiment as in the most practical elements of its politics and economic life. It considers Alexis de Tocqueville's theory of the American experiment and looks at how the image of America as a representative of European civilization was built over two centuries by thinkers and writers for whom no alternative was yet conceivable or for whom a transatlantic community offered a distinct promise of happiness. Wealth and power will not be enough to provide Americans with a new understanding of their place in the history of civilization. Only a new-—equally full and vast—-system of thought can do that, and this new system cannot be imported from outside. It must be built from the actual experience of American life, even and especially when that experience seems most random and unintelligible.Less

Three

Bruno Maçães

in History Has Begun: The Birth of a New America

This chapter evaluates what the Europeans call Americanization. For many, this was more or less equivalent to the end of times or, at least, the end of everything sacred. What America was exporting ... More

This chapter evaluates what the Europeans call Americanization. For many, this was more or less equivalent to the end of times or, at least, the end of everything sacred. What America was exporting to Europe was not just its manufacturing prowess. It was a whole way of life, fundamentally antithetical to European civilization because the only goals it recognized were profit and efficiency. Taste would be sacrificed because everything must be produced for the greatest number according to the maxims of the assembly line. Leisure would disappear and be replaced by the divine cult of work and productivity. Tradition must be uprooted because tradition is full of wasteful or inefficient practices. There was the accusation of Puritanism as well, but even here no European would dream of blaming America of excessive spirituality: Puritan prohibitions concerning alcohol or sex were seen as pre-emptive measures to create the most efficient workers, and reduce human beings to machines. Indeed, in America, the rationalization of work and prohibition were undoubtedly connected. The chapter then looks at the American model of production, which was an engine of standardization, and the rising anti-Americanism.Less

Fire Management and Policy Since European Settlement

Scott L. Stephens and Neil G. Sugihara

in Fire in California's Ecosystems

This chapter asks how fire management and policies have changed since European settlement. It also describes the activities and events that have had the greatest effect on fire in California, why ... More

This chapter asks how fire management and policies have changed since European settlement. It also describes the activities and events that have had the greatest effect on fire in California, why they occurred, and how they influenced fire regimes. The first significant impacts on fire regimes that the European civilization brought to California actually predate the arrival of large-scale permanent settlers by over a century. The removal of the Native Americans and their fire use had variable effects on California’s ecosystems. Invasive plant species have a greater impact in mesic conditions and at lower elevations than harsher alpine or subalpine ecosystems. An overview of some key historic fires from 1923 to 2005 is provided. Fire will continue as an important agent of change in many western ecosystems but one must strive to produce conditions where fire can become a positive force in most of California.Less

The Lumber Region as Pennsylvania's Appalachia

Robert M. Sandow

in Deserter Country: Civil War Opposition in the Pennsylvania Appalachians

In 1846, the prolific German travel writer Franz Von Loher observed how the Pennsylvania wilderness had shaped the character of mountain dwellers. The forest enveloped Von Loher and he began to see ... More

In 1846, the prolific German travel writer Franz Von Loher observed how the Pennsylvania wilderness had shaped the character of mountain dwellers. The forest enveloped Von Loher and he began to see his journey as one of time as well as space. Life in the wilderness seemed to trigger a reversion of cultural progress. “The longer in the forest, the further from European civilization.” Throughout history, humans and their environment have been locked in an intimate embrace, making it essential to understand the significance of place in human affairs. In the mountains of Pennsylvania, the environment helped shape distinct social, political, and economic tensions that provided a fertile ground for Civil War opposition. Even during the war, Republican officials echoed popular stereotypes, allowing these perceptions to influence policy-making. Many mountain folk contributed to these stereotypes by embracing the rugged ideal.Less

Conclusion

Jonathan Israel

in European Jewry in the Age of Mercantilism, 1550-1750

This concluding chapter assesses what the contribution of the Jews was to seventeenth-century European civilization. It is reasonably clear that the general significance of the Jews has to be ... More

This concluding chapter assesses what the contribution of the Jews was to seventeenth-century European civilization. It is reasonably clear that the general significance of the Jews has to be assessed under two main heads — the economic and the cultural. The problem is to specify the exact nature of the Jewish role. The techniques of Jewish commerce and finance did not differ from other commerce and finance except in that a vast array of restrictions cut the Jews out of most guilds, most retail trade, and the ownership of land and buildings. The key factor which imparted a certain importance to the post-1570 Jewish role was the simultaneous penetration during the sixteenth century of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, as well as of the Marranos living in Portugal and the Portuguese Empire, into maritime and overland long-distance transit trades linking the Levant with Italy, Poland with the Levant, Poland with Germany, and Portugal and the Portuguese Empire with northern Europe. The commercial importance gained by the Jews in the Levant and Poland, largely as a result of the previous expulsion from the West, in other words, formed the basis of the Jewish revival in Italy, Germany, Bohemia–Moravia, and the Low Countries after 1570. This entrenched position in so many crucial but distant markets proved a factor of great potency, especially in view of the close correspondence and intimate cultural contact between western Jewry and the Jews of the Levant and Poland.Less

Russian Ark: Imperial Elegy

Jeremi Szaniawski

in The Cinema of Alexander Sokurov: Figures of Paradox

This chapter looks at Russian Ark (2002). At the core of every museum and cinematic project lies a similar utopian drive. It consists of conflating a diverse set of temporalities within a block of ... More

This chapter looks at Russian Ark (2002). At the core of every museum and cinematic project lies a similar utopian drive. It consists of conflating a diverse set of temporalities within a block of space and time, and infusing them with a new life. Russian Ark represents the apex of this drive. Originally conceived as another instalment in the documentary cycle of elegies, this time a commission by the Hermitage State Museum to showcase its prestigious collection, the film is an extravagant cinematic accomplishment. No discussion of this film seems to be able to circumvent the technical feat at its core. As so often in Sokurov, personal and simple emotions predominate within a complex and ambitious philosophical frame. The central metaphor, contained in the film's title, posits the museum as an ark containing European civilization. Russian Ark serves to illustrate the paradoxical wholeness of Sokurov's cinema, torn between past and future, movement and stasis, fragment and totality.Less

Old Faiths and New

Frank M. Turner

Richard A. Lofthouse (ed.)

in European Intellectual History from Rousseau to Nietzsche

This chapter examines a broad conception of “secularization,”—that movement of ideas and values which led to the demise of Christianity and of religion generally as guiding principles in the life of ... More

This chapter examines a broad conception of “secularization,”—that movement of ideas and values which led to the demise of Christianity and of religion generally as guiding principles in the life of many individuals, and European society generally. This movement, if indeed it was a movement, represents one of the most profound turning points in the history of European civilization. It represented the emergence of a new attempt to formulate a system or systems of personal and social values. The nineteenth century was not only the century in which the Death of God was announced, but perhaps, more importantly, it was also the century in which God and transcendental values seem to have disappeared from the lives of most European men and women, but most especially from the lives of intellectuals.Less

Introduction

Sören Urbansky

in Beyond the Steppe Frontier: A History of the Sino-Russian Border

This introductory chapter focuses on the overlapping and mingling of distinct nomadic and sedentary cultures and European and Asian civilizations along the Argun. It shows that the study of the ... More

This introductory chapter focuses on the overlapping and mingling of distinct nomadic and sedentary cultures and European and Asian civilizations along the Argun. It shows that the study of the multiple ways in which the Sino-Russian border was negotiated on the ground remains a lacuna in the scholarship. Such neglect is all the more striking in light of the landmark's geopolitical significance and pivotal role in world history, its unique and radical changes over time, and the growth of general academic interest in borders. Here, the chapter provides a new focus for research before turning to how the Argun Basin was populated over the course of centuries. It illustrates the changing patterns of population in such an inhospitable area.Less

Modernists

James Wierzbicki

in Music in the Age of Anxiety: American Music in the Fifties

This chapter demonstrates how when it comes to modernism in postwar America, the most influential European composers were the Frenchman Pierre Boulez, the Italians Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono, and ... More

This chapter demonstrates how when it comes to modernism in postwar America, the most influential European composers were the Frenchman Pierre Boulez, the Italians Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono, and the German Karlheinz Stockhausen. Being born between 1924 and 1928, all of them had seen their homelands torn by the clash of Allied and Axis forces, and they had been personally shaken by the violence that nearly brought the whole of European civilization crashing down around them. The Americans were slower to respond to the perceived need for a drastically new music than were the Europeans, and when their response did come it was not so blatantly confrontational. Although many of the American modernists also had personal wartime experiences as horrific as those of their European contemporaries, the heritage with which they had grown up was never so direly threatened as had been that of Europe.Less

Law after Auschwitz

Julio Baquero Cruz

in What's Left of the Law of Integration?: Decay and Resistance in European Union Law

This chapter explains how, in the aftermath of the Second World War, many asked practical questions such as whether the politics and law of sovereign nation states could still be trusted as effective ... More

This chapter explains how, in the aftermath of the Second World War, many asked practical questions such as whether the politics and law of sovereign nation states could still be trusted as effective shields against the destructive forces lurking beneath the thin patina of European civilization. The post-war generation knew very well that those forces, ignited by blind nationalism, strong identities, and an even stronger hatred for the other, were always ready to unleash their murderous rage in certain circumstances. In that context, surrounded by ruins of many kinds, many felt that serious efforts were required to restructure the European continent and to try to avoid a third—possibly final—World War. European integration and its law may only be understood properly from that historical perspective.Less

Historians and Philosophers: The Peculiarity of the Enlightenment as Historical Category

Vincenzo Ferrone

in The Enlightenment: History of an Idea

This chapter examines the peculiarity of the Enlightenment as a category in the history of Western culture by highlighting the important differences and points of contact and reciprocal influences ... More

This chapter examines the peculiarity of the Enlightenment as a category in the history of Western culture by highlighting the important differences and points of contact and reciprocal influences between the views of the Enlightenment held by philosophers and those held by historians. It considers efforts in the twentieth century to analyze the “Enlightenment question,” which proved pivotal in the study of the rise of modern European civilization. It also discusses the double nature of the eighteenth-century epistemological paradigm, caught between history and philosophy, as well as its unique historiographical character. Finally, it shows how, at the end of the eighteenth century, the Enlightenment opposed a brand new philosophy of history to a centuries-old theology of history.Less