Barbarism and Its Discontents

Barbarism and civilization form one of the oldest and most rigid oppositions in Western history. According to this dichotomy, barbarism functions as the negative standard through which civilization fosters its self-definition and superiority by labeling others barbarians. Since the 1990s, and especially since 9/11, these terms have become increasingly popular in Western political and cultural rhetoric--a rhetoric that divides the world into forces of good and evil. This study intervenes in this recent trend and interrogates contemporary and historical uses of barbarism, arguing that barbarism also has a disruptive, insurgent potential. Boletsi recasts barbarism as a productive concept, finding that it is a common thread in works of literature, art, and theory. By dislodging barbarism from its conventional contexts, this book reclaims barbarism's edge and proposes it as a useful theoretical tool.

Author: Maria Boletsi
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 01/30/2013
Pages: 328
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780804782760

About the Author
Maria Boletsi is Assistant Professor at the Film and Comparative Literature Department of Leiden University.

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