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world. He uses examples from French periodicals and books in French to show how it has affected all elements of society. Nordau also accuses society of becoming more and more inclined to imitate what they see in art. He sees in the fashionable society of Paris and London that "very single figure strives visibly by some singularity in outline, set, cut or colour, to startle attention violently, and imperiously to detain it. Each one wishes to create a strong nervous excitement, no matter whether agreeably or disagreeably."
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In the fin-de-siècle disposition, in the tendencies of contemporary art and poetry, in the life and conduct of men who write mystic, symbolic and 'decadent' works and the attitude taken by their admirers in the tastes and aesthetic instincts of fashionable society, the confluence of two well-defined
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in Europe. He sees this as first being recognised, though not originating, in France, describing this phenomenon as "a contempt for the traditional views of custom and morality." He sees it as a sort of decadence, a world-weariness, and the wilful rejection of the moral boundaries governing the
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and its perceived effects on the human body. Nordau believed degeneration should be diagnosed as a mental illness because those who were deviant were sick and required therapy. These comments stemmed from his background as a trained physician, taught by the
Parisian neurologist
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that "It may well be asked whether an attribution of 'degeneracy' is of any value or adds anything to our knowledge." Although Nordau's work certainly reflects a reactionary strain of
European thought, he also condemns the rising
1144:, which had been steadily growing in use in German speaking countries during the 19th century. The book reflects views on a degenerating society held by many people in Europe at the time, especially throughout the
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Europe was then undergoing unprecedented technological progress and social upheaval. The rapid industrialisation and the accompanying urbanisation were breaking down many of the traditional structures of society.
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Nordau begins his work with a "medical" and social interpretation of what has created this degeneration in society. Nordau divides his study into five books. In the first book, Nordau identifies the phenomenon of
1148:. By the early 20th century, the idea that society was degenerating and that this degeneration was influenced by art led to backlash, as evidenced by the conviction of Austrian artist
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Nordau establishes the cultural phenomenon of fin de siècle in the opening pages, but he quickly moves to the viewpoint of a physician and identifies what he sees as an illness:
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to name a few), but its basic premise remains that society and human beings themselves are degenerating, and this degeneration is both reflected in and influenced by art.
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has been translated into
English by Howard Fertig, based on the second German edition of the text. Fertig's translation has been digitized and reprinted several times.
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Peters, Olaf (Spring 2016). "Fear and
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The Myth of
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That was given legitimacy by the branch of medicine called
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conditions of disease, with which he is quite familiar,
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1333:Josephson-Storm (2017), p. 184.
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