Psychology of the Great War

The First World War and Its Origins

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Social Psychology
Cover of the book Psychology of the Great War by , Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781351307703
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 27, 2018
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781351307703
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 27, 2018
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The outbreak of World War I saw the collapse of socialist notions of class solidarity and reaffirmed the enduring strength of nationalism. The workers of the world did not unite, but turned on one another and slaughtered their fellows in what was then the bloodiest war in history. There have been many efforts to explain the outbreak of war in 1914, but few from so intimate a perspective as LeBon's. He examines such questions as why German scholars tried to deny Germany's obvious guilt in the war, and what explained the remarkable resolve of the French army to persevere in the face of unprecedented adversity.

To such questions, LeBon proposes answers built upon principles well articulated in the larger body of his work. He transforms the character of the debate by demonstrating how psychological principles explain more persuasively both the causes of German academic ignominy and the origins of French valor. Convinced as he was that only psychology could illuminate collective behavior, LeBon dismisses purely economic or political interpretations as ill-conceived and inadequate precisely because they fail to appreciate the role of psychology in the collective behavior of national statesmen, prominent scholars, and ordinary soldiers.

The Psychology of the Great War provides a bridge to study both crowd behavior and battlefield behavior by illustrating how ordinary people are transformed into savages by great events. This element in LeBon's thinking influenced Georges Sorel's thinking, as he had seen the same phenomenon in those who participated in general strikes and revolutions. And in a later period and different context, Hannah Arendt gave this strange capacity of the ordinary to be transformed into the extraordinary the name "banality of evil." The book will be of interest to social theorists, psychologists concerned with group behavior, and historians of the period.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The outbreak of World War I saw the collapse of socialist notions of class solidarity and reaffirmed the enduring strength of nationalism. The workers of the world did not unite, but turned on one another and slaughtered their fellows in what was then the bloodiest war in history. There have been many efforts to explain the outbreak of war in 1914, but few from so intimate a perspective as LeBon's. He examines such questions as why German scholars tried to deny Germany's obvious guilt in the war, and what explained the remarkable resolve of the French army to persevere in the face of unprecedented adversity.

To such questions, LeBon proposes answers built upon principles well articulated in the larger body of his work. He transforms the character of the debate by demonstrating how psychological principles explain more persuasively both the causes of German academic ignominy and the origins of French valor. Convinced as he was that only psychology could illuminate collective behavior, LeBon dismisses purely economic or political interpretations as ill-conceived and inadequate precisely because they fail to appreciate the role of psychology in the collective behavior of national statesmen, prominent scholars, and ordinary soldiers.

The Psychology of the Great War provides a bridge to study both crowd behavior and battlefield behavior by illustrating how ordinary people are transformed into savages by great events. This element in LeBon's thinking influenced Georges Sorel's thinking, as he had seen the same phenomenon in those who participated in general strikes and revolutions. And in a later period and different context, Hannah Arendt gave this strange capacity of the ordinary to be transformed into the extraordinary the name "banality of evil." The book will be of interest to social theorists, psychologists concerned with group behavior, and historians of the period.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Theory of Economic Growth by
Cover of the book Empire and International Order by
Cover of the book Making of the Victorian Novelist by
Cover of the book Handbook Of Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment by
Cover of the book Waterlogged Wealth by
Cover of the book Why Good is Good by
Cover of the book Selections from Subh al-A'shā by al-Qalqashandi, Clerk of the Mamluk Court by
Cover of the book Hindu Pilgrimage by
Cover of the book Future Journalism by
Cover of the book Playwriting by
Cover of the book Problems of Monopoly and Economic Warfare by
Cover of the book Critical Social Theory and the End of Work by
Cover of the book Timba: The Sound of the Cuban Crisis by
Cover of the book Introduction to the Work of Marcel Mauss by
Cover of the book Amnesty After Atrocity? by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy