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

by Roberto Romani

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521024266
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/13/2006
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	707,046
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.83(d)
Lexile:	1670L (what's this?)

About the Author

Roberto Romani is Research Associate at the Centre for History and Economics, King's College, Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. 1750–1850: France: 1. All Montesquieu's sons: the place of esprit général, caractère national, and mœurs in French political philosophy, 1748–89; 2. After the Revolution: Staël on political morality; 3. From republicanism to industrialism and national character: Melchiorre Gioja, Charles Dupin and Continental political economy, 1800–48; 4. The French Restoration dispute over mores and Tocqueville; Great Britain: 5. Between Whiggism and the science of manners: Britain, 1750–1800; 6. British views on Irish national character, 1800–46; Part II. 1850–1914: 7. The demise of John Bull: social sciences in Britain, 1850–1914; 8. Durkheim's collective representation and their background; 9. Socializing public spirit, 1870–1914; Conclusion; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"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

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