Lynn Hunt Ordre des livres

We justify our actions in the present through our understanding of the past. But we live in a time when politicians lie brazenly about historical facts and meddle with the content of history books, while media differ wildly in their reporting of the same event. Frequently, new discoveries force us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the past. So how can any certainty about history be established, and why does it matter? Lynn Hunt shows why the search for truth about the past, as a continual process of discovery, is vital for our societies. History has an essential role to play in ensuring honest presentation of evidence. In this way, it can foster humility about our present-day concerns, a critical attitude toward chauvinism, and an openness to other peoples and cultures. History, Hunt argues, is our best defense against tyranny. Introducing Polity's Why It Matters series; in these short and lively books, world-leading thinkers make the case for the importance of their subjects and aim to inspire a new generation of students.

Lynn Hunt and Jack R. Censer's The French Revolution and Napoleon provides a globally-oriented narrative history of events from 1789 until the fall of Napoleon. It emphasizes the global origins and consequences of the French Revolution and explains why it is the formative event for modern politics. The book integrates global competition, fiscal crisis, slavery and the beginnings of nationalism with the more traditional emphases on human rights and constitutions, terror and violence, and the rise of authoritarianism. This global approach then enables the authors – two world-renowned scholars in the field – to clearly illustrate how the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire changed all the political givens for Europe, the Americas, North Africa and parts of Asia as well. Including numerous illustrations and maps, end-of-chapter questions, timelines and primary source document extracts for analysis in each chapter, this book is essential reading for all students of modern European history who want to understand the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire in a truly global context.

Für Lynn Hunt ist die Französische Revolution nicht nur Zeichen sich wandelnder ökonomischer und sozialer Strukturen, noch lediglich ein singuläres politisches Ereignis; sie ist vielmehr die Geburtsstunde der »politischen Kultur« in Europa und der »Kaste der Politiker«. ln einer ebenso differenzierten wie ungewöhnlichen Analyse der genuin revolutionären Symbole (Kleider, Feste usw.) erschließt Lynn Hunt die »Sprachen der Macht« und damit das politische Selbstverständnis, das sich in diesen Symbolen bekundet. Es wird dargestellt, wie sich die Symbole im Laufe der Französischen Revolution veränderten; daß sie bald nicht mehr Ausdruck eines Aufbruchs waren, sondern selber zum Instrument der Disziplinierung wurden. Mit der Entstehung der »revolutionären Symbolwelt« und einer »revolutionären Rhetorik« bildete sich eine politische Kultur heraus, die bis auf den heutigen Tag wirksam geblieben ist. Im zweiten Teil wird untersucht, wer diejenigen waren, die diese neue Rhetorik und Symbolik entwarfen, sich durch sie definierten.

With history in ferment, leading historian Lynn Hunt rethinks why history matters and how it should be written.

Lynn Hunt offers a Freudian analysis of the French Revolution, exploring the collapse of patriarchal authority through diverse artistic, iconographic, literary, and historical sources. This examination reveals the complex interplay between gender dynamics and revolutionary change, highlighting how traditional power structures were challenged during this pivotal period.

The Making of the West is a story of interactions — cross-cultural exchanges that span the globe, as well as the ongoing interactions between societies, cultures, governments, economies, religions, and ideas. To highlight these interactions and help students grasp the vital connections between political, social, and cultural events, The Making of the West: A Concise History presents a comprehensive picture of each historical era within a brief chronological narrative. The book also situates Europe within a truly global context, facilitating students’ understanding of the events that have shaped their own times. A full-color map and art program deepen students’ understanding of the narrative.

In eighteenth-century Amsterdam, two French Protestant refugees created a remarkable work that captivated and provoked readers throughout Europe. This account by Lynn Hunt, Margaret Jacob, and Wijnand Mijnhardt delves into the vibrant Dutch Republic and its thriving book trade, focusing on a publication that proposed the radical notion of religious equality. Engraver Bernard Picart and author Jean Frederic Bernard produced The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of All the Peoples of the World, which began its release in 1723 with seven folio volumes. The work provided a comparative perspective on various religions, including Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and Protestants, along with diverse sects from the Orient and the Americas. Despite facing condemnation from the Catholic Church, it achieved remarkable success and was widely copied and adapted over the next century, often losing its original radical context and connections to clandestine literature and Spinoza's philosophy. This influential publication laid the groundwork for religious toleration during a time of persistent conflict and highlighted the global influences on Western thought. The authors illuminate the profound insights within this beautifully illustrated work, showcasing its role in shaping a modern, secular understanding of religion.

A tour de force.-Gordon S. Wood, New York Times Book Review

A collection of essays which offer insight into the development of modern conceptions of time, from the Christian dating system (BC/AD or BCE/CE) to the idea of modernity as an epoch in human history.

Originální výklad Velké francouzské revoluce známé americké historičky, která navazuje na francouzskou interpretační tradici, ale současně přináší zcela nový a svérázný pohled. Zabývá se rétorikou významných revolučních osobností, symbolickými formami politické praxe, politickým zeměpisem revoluce, novými politickými subjekty a lidmi na okraji. V centru jejího zájmu je tudíž to, co sama autorka nazývá "poetikou moci" a "sociologií politiky". Publikace je brilantním historickým esejem, který se pohybuje na rozmezí politických, sociálních a kulturních dějin a ukazuje novou podobu politiky, která vznikla na konci 18. století a je určující dodnes.