西方文明史与经典导读Ch. 9 The Western Civilization in Crisis

Ch.9

TheWesternCivilizationinCrisisTheWesternCivilizationinCrisisCrisisandRedefinitionTheProblemofFascismandNazism

ThePostwarWestTheModernPredicamentPrimaryReading:

IntroductiontoWinstonChurchill’s(1946)IronCurtainSpeech

WinstonChurchill’s(1946)IronCurtainSpeech

InteractiveActivities12/14/20251TheWesternCivilizationinCrisis:TheWorldWars12/14/2025212/14/2025312/14/2025412/14/2025512/14/2025612/14/2025712/14/2025812/14/2025912/14/20251012/14/20251112/14/20251212/14/20251312/14/20251412/14/20251512/14/20251612/14/202517CrisisandRedefinitionWorldWarIhadbeenamassivebloodlettingwithintheWest,thoughwithlargerglobalimplications.FascismandNazismweregainingstrength,raisingnewquestionsaboutthedefinitionandvalidityofWesterncivilization.12/14/202518CrisisandRedefinitionIITheeffectsofWorldWar1wereimmediatelyfeltinotherpartsoftheworld.JapanenteredthewarinAugust1914onthesideofFrance,Russia,andBritaininordertosecureGermanterritoryinthePacificandextenditsinfluenceoverChina.TurkeyjoinedGermanyandAustria-Hungary’sallianceduringthesamemonth.AlltheEuropeancolonialpowersrecruitedlaborersandsoldiersfromtheirimperialterritories.JapanesetroopslandinChinaatTsingtaoin1915.12/14/202519CrisisandRedefinitionIIIWorldWarIbeganthedownwardspiral,whichfitswithintheWesterntraditionbecauseWesternnationshadoftengonetowar.Thesheerlevelofslaughter,thefrustrationofyearsofstalematedtrenchwarfare,theshockofnewanddeadlyweaponrychallengeWesternassumptionsofacivilization.Itwashardtoexplainhowthingscouldbesoawful.Whathappened,ineffect,wasthatthepowerofindustrialtechnologyhadtransformedwaranditsimpactbeyondrecognition.Comments(students)?12/14/202520CrisisandRedefinitionIVMorechallenges:JapanandtheUnitedStatestookadvantageofthewartomakeeconomicgainsatEurope’sexpense.StirringsinthecoloniesintensifiedtheirfightsagainstEuropeancontrol.TheRussianRevolutionbroughtanewthreattotheWesternwayoflife.Amanpowershortageathomebroughtwomenintofactories,andmenandwomenworksidebysideinammunitionfactories.Revelations:Thewarrevealedthatthenewpowersthatgovernmentscouldcommand,wouldoutstripanyWesterntradition,indeedanypriorpoliticaltradition.ThewarraisedquestionsaboutthecompatibilityofthetechnologiesandorganizationspossibleinadvancedindustrialsocietiesintheWest.12/14/202521TheProblemsofFascismandNazismTheFascistmovementswereblatantlyanti-Western,despitetheirpopularityincountriesthatseemedcentraltotheWest.Theyattackedindividualisminthenameofgrouployalty,thestate,andasingleleader.Theyblastedparliamentsfortheirpoliticaldivisionsandtheirconstraintsonstronggovernmentinitiatives.Theycriticizedmodernconsumerism,modernart,andthechangesinwomen’sroles,urgingareturntorealorimaginedfolkformsandfemaledomesticityandchildbearing.Ultimately,fascismledtoanotherworldwarthatslaughteredsixmillionJews,plusmanyothers,intheNaziHolocaust.12/14/20252212/14/20252312/14/20252412/14/20252512/14/20252612/14/20252712/14/20252812/14/202529TwoResponses?HowcouldthishappeninWesterncivilization?Twoprincipalinterpretiveresponses.Thefirstemphasizesthattheleadingfascistcountries,andparticularlyGermany,werenotreallyWestern,despitetheirundeniableparticipationinmanyaspectsofWesternhistoryandnumerouscontributions,frommusictothemodernuniversity,toWesternlife.Second,Nazism,accordingtothislineofargument,springsfromGermanness,notWesternness.Criticalthoughts(students)?12/14/202530ThePostwarWestWesterncivilizationafterWWIIbecomesonthewholevastlypleasant,whichhaspromptedWesterners:First,toreassertWesternvalueslikeparliamentarismandprotectionsofindividualliberty;Second,toredefinesomecomecommonlyacceptedfeaturesofpoliticalinstitutionsamongWesterncountries,basednowondemocratic,parliamentaryregimesandconstitutionalprotectionsofindividualrights.12/14/202531ThePostwarWestIIThreeothermajorchanges:AcommitmenttomultipartydemocracyinFranceandevenGermanyandItaly;ReturnofarapideconomicgrowthinWesternEurope,especiallyGermany’s“economicmiracle”;AsignificantreductionofnationalistemphasisandmilitarismintheCommonMarket(latertheEU)12/14/202532TheModernPredicamentTheprocessoffragmentationinEuropeanthoughtandartssincethe19thcenturyacceleratedafterWorldWarI.Increasingly,philosophers,writers,andartistsex-presseddisillusionmentwiththerationalhumanisttraditionoftheEnlightenment.TheynolongersharedtheEnlightenment’sconfidenceineitherreason’scapabilitiesorhumangoodness,andtheyviewedperpetualprogressasanillusion.12/14/202533Exerci