The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values [Hardcover]

Gertrude Himmelfarb (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0679438173 | ISBN-13: 978-0679438175 | Publication Date: February 7, 1995 | Edition: 1st

Contrasting the Victorian system of virtues--respectability, self-help, discipline, cleanliness, obedience, orderliness--with the opportunistic, superficial morality of modern society, an intellectual historian calls for a deeper commitment to moral responsibility. 12,500 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although Himmelfarb concedes that Victorian England was rife with class rigidity, discrimination and hypocrisy, she nevertheless believes Victorian society has much to teach us because it preserved a core of "virtues" such as hard work, self-reliance and deferral of gratification. The compartmentalization of the sexes into separate spheres of activity in that era was more flexible than is generally acknowledged, she argues, pointing to women's involvement in social work, education, government and philanthropy. Professor emeritus of history at the City University of New York, Himmelfarb draws on oral histories, memoirs, newspapers and the writings and personal behavior of William Gladstone, John Stuart Mill, Anthony Trollope, H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde and others to bolster her arguments. Her challenging study urges liberals and conservatives to move beyond moral relativism in addressing such problems as crime, illiteracy, poverty, welfare and substance abuse.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Himmelfarb, professor emeritus of history at CUNY and the author of several works on Victorian England, including most recently Poverty and Compassion: The Moral Imagination of the Late Victorians (LJ 7/91), here contrasts the Victorian "virtues" of respectability, self-help, orderliness, cleanliness, and obedience with today's vague concept of "values." The author debunks the popular perception of Victorians as repressed and materialistic. Instead, according to Himmelfarb, their "manners and morals" created a society that emphasized a strong family life for all classes and gave rise to a prosperous economy and the early feminist and social service movements. Furthermore, the influence of these virtues caused the incidence of illegitimate births and violent crimes to drop significantly and remain low until the 1960s. This provocative and important book is recommended for all academic and large public libraries.?Kathryn Moore Crowe, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Greensboro
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (February 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679438173
• ISBN-13: 978-0679438175
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Himmelfarb Does It Again, September 13, 2001

By 

N. Cardon (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values (Paperback)

Gertrude Himmelfarb provides an interesting and thought-provoking analysis of the Victorian Age. Her formidable logic, study, and sources enable her to break down the stereotypes of Victoria's Britain. In doing so, she constructs a far more realistic, fair, and honest portrayl of Victoria's reign. Do not be fooled, Ms. Himmelfarb does not simply lavish praise on the past and turn her nose up at modern culture; she provides a reasoned and valuable look at the two times.

This book should be read by anyone who seeks to understand where we have been and where we are going.

48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Professor Himmelfarb!, November 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values (Paperback)

At last, a readable, non-revisionist, and quite relevant discussion of the history of our "moral" system. Professor Himmelfarb is an excellent writer who makes history for nonhistorians come alive. I will never again read Keats, Shelley, Wells, or Mill without placing them in the historical context presented in this book. It is a relief to know that some realism remains in the debauched, angst-filled, revisionist halls of modern academia. This is a wonderful book!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Victorian Virtues Trump Modern "Values!", July 14, 2000

By 

Kathleen (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values (Paperback)

I was brought up to think of all things Victorian as stuffy, repressed and backward. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that far from being a social wilderness, Victorian England and America had much about them to admire.

The belief in God, country, indisputable truths, and loyalty to family were the hallmarks of the Victorians. It is regrettable that in our own time we have no constant stars to guide us as our recent forbears had.

The advances in medicine and science are all good. But it sad that with all these scientific advances, people feel more isolated and insecure than the erstwhile Victorians encumbered with all the constraints of that age.