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Ancients against Moderns: Culture Wars and the Making of a Fin de Siecle
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1998
Year
Transnational HistoryConstructive Cultural RevolutionFrench20Th Century ApproachesDecoloniality20Th Century French LiteratureFrench CulturePhilosophy Of HistoryCulture WarsFrench SocietyCultural HistoryLanguage StudiesHistorical EvidenceClassicsIntellectual HistoryModernity
The late 20th century is expected to mirror the 19th‑century decline into decadence. The author reinterprets contemporary culture wars by comparing them to the 17th‑century Quarrel between Ancients and Moderns. The study argues that 20th‑century culture wars resemble the 1690s Quarrel and can spark constructive cultural revolutions, just as the earlier battle ignited the Enlightenment.
As the end of the 20th century approaches, many predict that it will mirror the 19th-century decline into decadence. The author of this text finds a closer analogy with the culture wars of France in the 1690s - the time of a battle of the books known as the Quarrel between the Ancients and Moderns. The book reassesses current culture wars from the perspective of that earlier fin de siecle, and re-reads the 17th century Quarrel from the perspective of 20th-century warring ancients and moderns. In so doing, DeJean shows that a fin de siecle taking place in the shadow of culture wars can be more a source of constructive cultural revolution than of apocalyptic gloom and doom. Just as the first fin de siecle's battle of the books served as the spark which set off the Enlightenment, introducing radically new sexual and social politics which laid the groundwork for modernity, so current culture wars can result in radical, liberating changes, if we take an active stand against our own ancients who seek to stifle such reforms.