National Character and Public Spirit in Britain and France, 1750-1914 [Hardcover]

Roberto Romani (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521810000 | ISBN-13: 978-0521810005 | Publication Date: January 28, 2002 | Edition: 1

In a work of unusual ambition and rigorous comparison, Roberto Romani considers the concept of "national character" in the intellectual histories of Britain and France. Perceptions of collective mentalities influenced a variety of political and economic debates, ranging from anti-absolutist polemic in eighteenth-century France to appraisals of socialism in Edwardian Britain. Romani argues that the eighteenth-century notion of "national character", with its stress on climate and government, evolved into a concern with the virtues of "public spirit" irrespective of national traits, in parallel with the establishment of representative institutions on the Continent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The content of the book is dense and detailed...a significant contribution..." American Historical Review

"Romani explores the longevity and relative constancy of stereotypical views of "national character" and their influence on political and economic discussions in Britain and France from the Enlightenment to the 20th century. This provocative, erudite, and well-crafted work of traditional intellectual history well interest all scholars of national identity and political theory." Choice

"The work shows a good understanding of the work of a vast number of modern theorists and an impressive array of scholarship." Philosophy in Review

Book Description

Despite its centrality in European thought, this is the first treatment of national character in intellectual history. Romani considers a distinction between 'national character' as a static and stereotype-laden concept, and 'public spirit' as a notion suggesting the necessity of certain qualities to operate free institutions. He argues that the contrast between these assessments of collective dispositions still influences our culture. Major authors of the period (including Montesquieu, Voltaire, Hume, Burke, Tocqueville, Spencer, and Durkheim) are considered, amounting to a substantial reinterpretation of a central strand in post-Enlightenment European thought.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (January 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521810000
• ISBN-13: 978-0521810005
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,804,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.