The 19th Century “-isms”

The combined forces of industrialization and of the French Revolution led after 1815 to a proliferation of new doctrines and movements, most of which contributed to a general European revolution in 1848. As for the 33 years from 1815 to 1848, there is no better way of grasping their long-term meaning than to reflect on the number of enduring “isms” that arose at that time. . . . An ‘ism’ may be defined as the conscious espousal of a doctrine in competition with other doctrines. Without the ‘isms’ created in the 30-odd years after the peace of Vienna it is impossible to understand or even talk about the history of the world since that event.

-- Palmer, Colton & Kramer

Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!

-- Karl Marx

By pursuing his own interest, [an individual] frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.

-- Adam Smith

A Country is not a mere territory; the particular territory is only its foundation. The Country is the idea which rises upon that foundation; it is the sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship which binds together all the sons of that territory.

-- Giuseppe Mazzini

Any plan conceived in moderation must fail when the circumstances are set in extremes.

-- Klemens Von Metternich

A thousand years may scare form a state. An hour may lay it in ruins.

--Lord Byron

The Age of Gold is before us.

--Count Henri de Saint-Simon

______

Today, you will work in a group to prepare a manifesto advocating a specific ideology and to come up with critiques of the other ideologies.

Your choices are:

Conservatism: Peter, Andrei, Nakib, Kevin//Leah, Dorota, Peter

Liberalism: Emily, Sara, Anton, Minda//Sonya, David, Sam

Nationalism: Renee, Catherine, John, Bridget//Wes, Luis, Nora

Utopian Socialism: Stephanie, Colleen, Ed, Sam//Alex, Valerie, Oleida

Marxian Socialism: Chris, Maham, Toye, Alex//Jordan, Una, Kinza

Romanticism: Jade, Ezra//Vera, Kassandra

By definition, manifestos are creative, provocative, and – above all – about intellectual ideas. Your manifestos will vary but should incorporate historical context (causes, effects, personalities, countries, etc.) and impact on future events. If a particular concept is difficult, you might think about making analogies to current situations, trends, or events. Try actively engaging your audience in some way.

Keep in mind you will present your manifesto to an audience of critics – namely, individuals who advocate OPPOSING ideologies. So, be ready to take questions and defend your manifesto and its underlying ideology

Conservatism: Metternich, de Maistre, Edmund Burke

Nationalism: Examples: Ypsilanti in Greece, Daniel O'Connell in Ireland, Giuseppe Mazzini in Italy

Liberalism: Examples: Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, David Ricardo

Romanticism: Examples: Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, Keats, Hugo, von Goethe)

Socialism: Examples: Saint-Simon, Fourier, Owen, Cabot, Blanc, Proudhon, Marx and Engels

Once you present and field questions about your theory you will be given real examples to debate. You will argue from your point of view whether historical events are appropriate or misguided. We will cover Greece, Prussia, Great Britain, France and Austria.

Greece and Austria

Peter, Renee, Emily, Stephanie, Chris, Jade, Andrei, Catherine, Sara, Colleen, Maham, Ezra//

Leah, Wes, Sonya, Alex, Jordan, Vera, Peter, Nora, Sam, Valerie, Kinza

Great Britain and Prussia

Nakib, John, Anton, Ed, Toye, Kevin, Bridget, Minda, Sam, Alex//

Dorota, Luis, David, Una, Kassandra, Oleida

France

All of you