The Passing of the Modern Age

by John Lukacs

Book Overview

"A series of brief essays that deftly and pungently dissect the ills of contemporary society. . . Mr. Lukacs is especially adept at shattering idols and at demolishing shibboleths. There are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061316733
• ISBN13: 9780061316739
• Release Date: April 1977
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Prescient work

Though dated, full of howlers and grossly politically incorrect, this is an important work. By Modern Age, Lukacs means the era of rationality and empiricism which commenced with the Renaissance. He suggests we are leaving that age, perhaps to enter a New Dark Age. His book is full of brilliant observations; for example that the youthful fashions of the 1960s aped the appearance of the barbarians of Dark Age Europe. Or that for the first time in history, having the wrong opinions is a faux pas worse than poor taste. Or that nationalism has replaced Christianity as the religion of the people. Tocqueville said we would stamp out the lights of civilization ourselves, and this fine book puts forward the same theme. The book is out of print but I suppose the truth is we do not want to hear its dark message. Perhaps historians of the future will see the book's worth.