Title
Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders,New
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Conservatism was born as an anguished attack on democracy. So argues Don Herzog in this arrestingly detailed exploration of England's responses to the French Revolution. Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders ushers the reader into the politically lurid world of Regency England.Deftly weaving social and intellectual history, Herzog brings to life the social practices of the Enlightenment. In circulating libraries and Sunday schools, deferential subjects developed an avid taste for reading; in coffeehouses, alehouses, and debating societies, they boldly dared to argue about politics. Such conservatives as Edmund Burke gaped with horror, fearing that what radicals applauded as the rise of rationality was really popular stupidity or worse. Subjects, insisted conservatives, ought to defer to traditionand be comforted by illusions.Urging that abstract political theories are manifest in everyday life, Herzog unflinchingly explores the unsavory emotions that maintained and threatened social hierarchy. Conservatives dished out an unrelenting diet of contempt. But Herzog refuses to pretend that the day's radicals were saints. Radicals, he shows, invested in contempt as enthusiastically as did conservatives. Hairdressers became newly contemptible, even a cultural obsession. Women, workers, Jews, and blacks were all abused by their presumed superiors. Yet some of the lowly subjects Burke had the temerity to brand a swinish multitude fought back.How were England's humble subjects transformed into proud citizens? And just how successful was the transformation? At once history and political theory, absorbing and disquieting, Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders challenges our own commitments to and anxieties about democracy.
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- Q: What is the main theme of 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders'? A: 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' explores the relationship between conservatism and democracy in England, particularly in the context of the French Revolution. It discusses how conservative thinkers reacted to the rise of democratic ideologies and the social upheaval of the time.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' is Don Herzog.
- Q: What are the key features of this book? A: This book is a used book in good condition, offering an in-depth analysis of the social and political dynamics of Regency England, as well as the cultural tensions between conservatives and radicals.
- Q: How many pages does the book have? A: 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' contains 560 pages.
- Q: What is the publication date of this book? A: The book was published on September 15, 2000.
- Q: What is the binding type of this book? A: The binding type of 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' is paperback.
- Q: In which category is this book listed? A: 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' is categorized under Great Britain.
- Q: What condition is the book in? A: The book is listed as new.
- Q: What topics does the book cover? A: The book covers topics such as social practices during the Enlightenment, the role of reading in society, and the contempt expressed by both conservatives and radicals towards various social groups.
- Q: Is this book suitable for readers interested in political theory? A: Yes, 'Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders' combines history and political theory, making it suitable for readers interested in understanding the complexities of democracy and conservatism.