Age of Anxiety Flashcards

Turn of the Century Europe

• Key Terms:

  • La Belle Époque: A period of peace and prosperity in France (late 19th - early 20th centuries).

  • Fin de Siècle: Refers to the end of the century, characterized by cultural pessimism and the decline of traditional values.

  • The Age of Anxiety: A term for the societal feelings of uncertainty and instability emerging in Europe during the late 19th century.

The Era of Anxiety

• Changes between 1815 and 1871:

  • Political transformations, especially regarding nationalism and liberalism.

  • Industrial Revolution changes economies and job markets.

  • Advances in science and technology resulting in shifts in worldview.

  • Resulting tensions leading to anxieties due to rapid changes.

Major Themes for the Turn of the Century

• Nationalism:

  • Increased loyalty to national governments triggered conflicts.

• Mass Politics:

  • Broader suffrage and engagement in politics.

• Increase in Literacy:

  • A more informed public capable of political involvement.

• Welfare State Emergence:

  • Governments starting to provide social support.

• Material Prosperity:

  • Success measured by consumerism and economic growth.

• Mass Society:

  • Dominance of larger societal movements.

• Cultural Spread:

  • Western culture reaches globally.

New Ways of Thinking

• Shifts in perspectives emphasize irrationality along with science:

  • Science: Transition to understanding complexities.

  • Politics: Conflict between traditional liberalism and emerging socialism.

  • Culture: Growth of diverse artistic expressions.

  • Philosophy & Psychology: Debates about reason, emotion, and human experience.

The Irrational vs. Rational Thinking

• Old Rationality:

  • Emphasis on order, logic, and the mechanistic view of life.

  • Society understood as rational, created through reason.

• New Irrationality:

  • Empathizes emotion and passion as core experiences.

  • Society perceived as chaotic and irrational; each experience is individual and unique.

Key Scientific Minds

• Marie Curie: Discovery of radium and atomic science.

• Max Planck: Introduction to quantum theory, altering perceptions of reality.

• Albert Einstein: Development of the theory of relativity, challenging previous physical notions.

Political Developments

• Evolution of Liberalism:

  • Liberalism shifts from advocating less government (1815) to demanding more involvement for reforms (1890).

• Rise of Socialism:

  • Emergence of unions, political parties, and movements focused on workers’ rights.

  • Fabian Socialism: Leveraging votes for gradual political reform in England.

• Conservatism Evolution:

  • Shift from big government (1815) to laissez-faire policies (1890).

Cultural Insights

• Henri Bergson: Advocated for a revolt against strict rationality, emphasizing experience over logic.

• Georges Sorel: Proposed revolutionary socialism as a solution to societal issues, believing violence could be necessary.

• Friedrich Nietzsche: Noted the significance of subjective values, dismissing rationality, proclaiming "God is dead!" as a statement on societal change.

Psychological Advances

• Sigmund Freud: Focused on the importance of the unconscious mind in driving human behavior.

  • Iceberg Theory:

    • Id: Drives impulses and desires.

    • Ego: Mediates between Id and reality.

    • Superego: Represents morality and societal expectations.

Social and Political Context (1900)

• Great Britain:

  • Labor unions and evolving liberalism push for more government.

• Ireland: National and religious divisions lead to conflict, especially between Protestants and Catholics.

• Italy: National unity struggles exacerbate social unrest, calling for reforms including suffrage and welfare laws.

• France: Experiences anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair amidst the fight for secularism.

• Germany: Social Democrats grow as working-class rights movement increases, paired with rising anti-Semitism.

• Austria-Hungary and Russia: Faced nationalistic challenges with rising political tensions leading to revolutions and unrest.

Rise of Radicalism in Late 19th Century

• Socialists, Syndicalists, and Anarchists:

  • Movements challenge existing political structures and demand radical changes.

Feminist Movement

• Women’s Changing Roles:

  • As society evolves, questions arise about women’s place and rights in a new modern context.

• Calls for Suffrage: Struggles for voting rights manifest across many nations.

Modernism Characteristics

• Key Features:

  • Materialism, urbanization, population growth, and the impact of the second industrial revolution.

  • Advances in democracy and the interplay between science and irrational thought.

• Struggles:

  • Conflicts between modernism and traditional beliefs, including religious struggles and anti-Semitism.

Conclusion: The Age of Anxiety

• Anxieties and Changes:

  • The convergence of economic, social, and philosophical changes during the period fostered a climate characterized by uncertainty and shift.