Degeneration

<p>Degeneration by Max Nordau is a landmark work of social and cultural criticism that captured the anxieties of the fin de siècle. Nordau diagnoses a pervasive sense of decline in modern society attributing it to the rapid pace of industrialization urbanization and social change. He examines various forms of art literature and philosophy identifying symptoms of degeneration in what he perceives as their departure from classical norms of beauty reason and morality.</p> <p>Nordau critiques the avant-garde movements of his time arguing that they reflect a pathological condition of the nervous system marked by hysteria neurasthenia and a general weakening of the will. His polemical analysis of artists and writers made Degeneration a controversial bestseller sparking heated debates about the direction of modern culture. Though controversial in its own time Nordau's work remains a crucial document for understanding the intellectual climate of the late 19th century and the widespread anxieties about modernity and social decay.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>