Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction: Times and Approaches
- 2 Enlightenment and Revolutions, 1763–1815
- 3 Nations and -Isms, 1815–1871
- 4 Natural Selection, 1871–1921
- 5 From Relativity to Totalitarianism, 1921–1945
- 6 Superpower, 1945–1968
- 7 Planet Earth, 1968–1991
- 8 Minutes to Midnight, 1991–
- Notes
- Index
3 - Nations and -Isms, 1815–1871
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction: Times and Approaches
- 2 Enlightenment and Revolutions, 1763–1815
- 3 Nations and -Isms, 1815–1871
- 4 Natural Selection, 1871–1921
- 5 From Relativity to Totalitarianism, 1921–1945
- 6 Superpower, 1945–1968
- 7 Planet Earth, 1968–1991
- 8 Minutes to Midnight, 1991–
- Notes
- Index
Summary
Nations and -Isms
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, Europe continued to lead the way in the dual process of industrial advancement and pollution accelerated by James Watt's steam engine, thus leading towards the crisis that we face at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Meanwhile, the analytical approach to stages of human development adopted by Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson and others was taken forward but was also subject to some distortion.
In 1815, Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo. In exile at St Helena, he talked of the aims for which he had worked while in power. He said that he had tried to merge the peoples of Europe into nations joined together by ‘unity of codes, principles, opinions, feelings, and interest’. He had thought of setting up a central assembly on an ancient Greek or a modern American model, to take care of ‘the great European family’ with the guidance and protection of his empire. In spite of his defeat, he still believed that what he had worked for would ultimately be realised.
Even in the long run, Napoleon's alleged dream was to fall somewhat short of realisation. More immediately, the Congress of Vienna, on which his remarks might well have been intended as a critical comment, did very little to order the affairs of the continent in anything like the manner that he envisaged.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Minutes to MidnightHistory and the Anthropocene Era from 1763, pp. 29 - 46Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2011