Reflections on History [Hardcover]

Jacob Burckhardt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1979

Almost alone among nineteenth-century historians, Jacob Burckhardt saw the totalitarian direction that history could take. This book (first published in English in 1943 as "Force and Freedom") is a guide to the study and comprehension of historical processes. Burckhardt makes a clear distinction between the state and the voluntary activities of society. He focuses on the nature and reciprocal interactions of the state, religion, and culture.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

About the Author

Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897) has been called 'the most civilised historian of the nineteenth century', and he was certainly one of the greatest historians of art and culture of his time. A Professor at the University of Basel, Burckhardt was especially knowledgeable about the Renaissance.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 354 pages
• Publisher: Liberty Fund; 2nd edition (September 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913966371
• ISBN-13: 978-0913966372
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,522,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best Historians From The 19th Century, January 13, 2009

By 

Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reflections on History (Hardcover)

Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897) was one of the most brilliant historians of the 19th century. Burckhardt was a professor of history and the history of art at the University of Basel from 1858-1893. He believed studying customs and manners of an era were more insightful than studying institutions. He also thought that by studying literature and art of a historic period contained a more meaningful truth than the history of events. This book is composed from a series of notes for lectures Burckhardt delivered from 1865-1885 at the U. of Basel. This book is a defiant counter-cultural look at human history from antiquity to the time of Napoleon. Burckhardt does not judge history by modern day standards, but seeks to find each historical epoch's own intrinsic meaning to the intellectual and artistic treasure of mankind. The historian's job is to observe, contemplate and enjoy. Although; not quick to judge the past, Burckhardt was quick to ridicule the "smugness" of his present times. Burckhardt had grave misgivings about "popular egalitarian democracy", watching it corrupt culture and politics. Burckhardt was an environmentalist worried about the ravaging of the earths natural resources during the industrial revolution. Burckhardt was very wary of the growth of the "state" politically and believed it was only a matter of time before the tyranny of the `state' would steal people's liberty. Yet, Burckhardt is no pessimist, he was a "philosopher of freedom", believing man could rise above the bleakest of circumstances.

He is an astute observer and is fascinating to read. His lectures have the clarity and historic scope like that of Lord Acton's works. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.

4.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy of History, May 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Reflections on History (Hardcover)

Burckhardt's book focuses primarily upon the three powers, state, religion, and culture. He examines them by defining the concepts as he wished to use them (for common understanding of what he refers to when using the terms) and then looks closely at the relationships.

Chapter three, which examines the relationships by how each power "determines" or influences the others, is based on reciprocity between the three. Burckhardt shows how state, religion, and culture are all within the framework of influence and through examples from history he supports his argument very well.

In the later part of the book Burckhardt looks at the crisis of history. The crisis he discusses is in the conflicts of mankind which we measure our history against, such as wars. He then discusses great men of history, not in specifics of naming but in defining what it means to be great, and who can or can not be great...someone who can not be replaces is considered great and by Burckhardt's reasoning that may include artists but exclude inventors (as he believes that someone else could also have invented any given "thing" though art would not be as easily reproduced.)

This books is relevent still today, though to read it one must be ready for the view point of Burckhardt's time, which can seem racist or intolerant to the people's outside of Christian Europe.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential text in your personal library !, August 20, 2005

By 

Hiram Gomez Pardo (Valencia, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reflections on History (Paperback)

This is an important and fundamental essay around a fascinating and controversial issue.

The story according Burckhardt is "The breakthrough with the nature caused by the awakening of the conscious."
In this sense, the story really begins when the men think in the elapsed time not in function of natural processes, but around a set of specific facts in which they are deeply committed consciously and simultaneously can influence.

The further and derived conclusions you can extract are countless. Go for this rewarding, vigorous and passionate essay.