Author: Clive Bell
Publisher: Rupa
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 216
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8171677274
Description
What really is civilization? And what it is not. This book analyses both, and also tackles two interesting questions: Do we want civilization? Could we have it if we did?
The dictionary meaning of the word civilization says that it is a noun, which stands for the state of being civilized. We also know that it is a characteristic of societies. But what really is civilization? Clive Bell wrote this book circa the First World War period and proposed to investigate the nature of Britain’s leading war-aim (‘fighting for civilization’). The author intends to enquire what this thing is for which whole generations seem to have fought and for which taxpayers pay. In fact this book even analyses what civilization is not. Both the paragons and the disseminators of civilization find a mention. The last chapter tackles two interesting questions: Do we want civilization? Could we have it if we did?
Clive Bell (1881-1964) was an English art critic, best known for promoting his theory of formalism. He was a philosopher who defended abstract art. He helped gain popular acceptance in Great Britain for the art of the Post-Impressionists during the early twentieth century. He was the member of the Bloombury School, which was a name given to the literary group that made Bloombury Square in London the center of its activities from 1904 to world War II. It included Lytton Strachey, Virginia Woolf, Lenoard Woolf and E. M. Forest among others.
Contents
Dedication
CHAPTER I
Introduction
CHAPTER II
What Civilization is Not
CHAPTER III
The Paragons
CHAPTER IV
Their Characteristics: The Sense of Values
CHAPTER V
Their Characteristics: Reason Enthroned
CHAPTER VI
Civilization and its disseminators
CHAPTER VII
How to make a Civilization