The Tyranny of Guilt – An Essay on Western Masochism - Couverture souple

Bruckner, Pascal; Rendall, Steven

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0691154309 ISBN 13 : 9780691154305

Editeur : Princeton University Press, 2012

Synopsis

The Tyranny of Guilt Fascism, communism, genocide, slavery, racism, and imperialism - the West has no shortage of reasons for guilt. And, indeed, since the Holocaust and the end of World War II, Europeans in particular have been consumed by remorse. This title argues that obsessive guilt has obscured important realities. Full description

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Fascism, communism, genocide, slavery, racism, imperialism--the West has no shortage of reasons for guilt. And, indeed, since the Holocaust and the end of World War II, Europeans in particular have been consumed by remorse. But Pascal Bruckner argues that guilt has now gone too far. It has become a pathology, and even an obstacle to fighting today's atrocities. Bruckner, one of France's leading writers and public intellectuals, argues that obsessive guilt has obscured important realities. The West has no monopoly on evil, and has destroyed monsters as well as created them--leading in the abolition of slavery, renouncing colonialism, building peaceful and prosperous communities, and establishing rules and institutions that are models for the world. The West should be proud--and ready to defend itself and its values. In this, Europeans should learn from Americans, who still have sufficient self-esteem to act decisively in a world of chaos and violence. Lamenting the vice of anti-Americanism that grips so many European intellectuals, Bruckner urges a renewed transatlantic alliance, and advises Americans not to let recent foreign-policy misadventures sap their own confidence. This is a searing, provocative, and psychologically penetrating account of the crude thought and bad politics that arise from excessive bad conscience.

Revue de presse :

Bruckner is not the first writer to bring attention to the penitential condition of the west...but never has the diagnosis been more eloquently or persuasively made. His prose combines an artist's appreciation of language with an aphorist's gift for concision. On almost every page there is a sentence or paragraph that demands underlining. --Andrew Anthony, The Observer

With eloquence, relish, and confidence, Pascal Bruckner confronts those whose morbid addiction to self-blame has begun to flirt with the suicidal. It's not necessary to concur with him about what constitutes faith or the lack of it. More useful and surprising (and educational) is to compare his authentic quotations from Fanon with the currently received opinion of that author. This is a book that issues a challenge in every chapter, and in some chapters on every page --.
(Christopher Hitchens )

Provocative, scholarly and accessible. [Bruckner's] critique of the Politics of Identity is wide-ranging and convinces us that a return to the values of citizenship is the only way back to sanity. --Julia Pascal, The Independent

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Princeton University Press
• Date d'édition: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0691154309
• ISBN 13: 9780691154305
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 264