Western Self-Contempt travels through civilizations since antiquity, examining major political events and literature of ancient Greece, Rome, France, Britain, and the United States, to study evidence of cultural self-hatred and its cyclical recurrence. Benedict Beckeld explores oikophobia, described...

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1. Verfasser:	Beckeld, Benedict (VerfasserIn)
Format:	Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:	English
Veröffentlicht:	Ithaca, NY Cornell University Press [2022]
Schlagworte:	History Philosophy Political Theory PHILOSOPHY / Political Civilization, Western > Political aspects > History Political culture > Western countries > History Social values > Western countries > History
Online-Zugang:	FHA01 Volltext
Zusammenfassung:	Western Self-Contempt travels through civilizations since antiquity, examining major political events and literature of ancient Greece, Rome, France, Britain, and the United States, to study evidence of cultural self-hatred and its cyclical recurrence. Benedict Beckeld explores oikophobia, described by its coiner Sir Roger Scruton as "the felt need to denigrate the customs, culture and institutions that are identifiably 'ours,'" in its political and philosophical application. Beckeld analyzes the theories behind oikophobia along with their historical sources, revealing why oikophobia is best described as a cultural malaise that befalls civilizations during their declining days. Beckeld gives a framework for why today's society is so fragmented and self-critical. He demonstrates that oikophobia is the antithesis of xenophobia. By this definition, the riots and civil unrest in the summer of 2020 were an expression of oikophobia. Excessive political correctness that attacks tradition and history is an expression of oikophobia. Beckeld argues that if we are to understand these behaviors and attitudes, we must understand oikophobia as a socio-historical phenomenon.Western Self-Contempt is a systematic analysis of oikophobia, combining political philosophy and history to examine how Western civilizations and cultures evolve from naïve and self-promoting beginnings to a state of self-loathing and decline. Concluding with a philosophical portrait of an increasingly interconnected Western civilization, Beckeld reveals how past events and philosophies, both in the US and in Europe, have led to a modern culture of self-questioning and self-rejection
Beschreibung:	Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 29. Jul 2022)
Beschreibung:	1 online resource (264 pages)
ISBN:	9781501763205
DOI:	10.1515/9781501763205