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Age of Anger
A History of the Present
Age of Anger (2017) examines the world and the upheaval it’s undergoing. These blinks look back to earlier societies and dissect the origins of our current travails. They also pay close attention to the philosophical teachings of the Enlightenment, which still influence Western thought today.
This is a Blinkist staff pick
“People are angry. Angry with politicians, angry with migrants, angry with the media. Where did all this rage come from? In Age of Anger, renowned historian Pankaj Mishra looks into history to analyze our current despair. I found these blinks an incredibly useful introduction to the philosophical, historical and political roots of our modern problems.”
– Thomas, Head of English Content at Blinkist
- Anyone with questions about the societal effects of globalization
- Students of philosophy and history
- Anyone with unanswered questions about the current state of the world
Pankaj Mishra is an Indian author and essayist whose other works include From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt Against the West and the Remaking of Asia, which became the first book by a non-Western writer to win the Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding. He also contributes to the New York Times, the Guardian and the New Yorker as well as numerous other publications.
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Age of Anger
A History of the Present
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Synopsis
Age of Anger (2017) examines the world and the upheaval it’s undergoing. These blinks look back to earlier societies and dissect the origins of our current travails. They also pay close attention to the philosophical teachings of the Enlightenment, which still influence Western thought today.
This is a Blinkist staff pick
“People are angry. Angry with politicians, angry with migrants, angry with the media. Where did all this rage come from? In Age of Anger, renowned historian Pankaj Mishra looks into history to analyze our current despair. I found these blinks an incredibly useful introduction to the philosophical, historical and political roots of our modern problems.”
– Thomas, Head of English Content at Blinkist
Key idea 1 of 6
Societal upheaval and anger have been present for many centuries.
Whichever way you look at it, Western society is built on the principles of the Enlightenment. If we’re going to understand the problems inherent in the modern world, we’re going to need a short history lesson.
The Enlightenment is a shorthand term that refers to the ideas advocated by a group of European philosophers in the eighteenth century. They proclaimed the value of science, reason and art. They wanted humanity to break free from the shackles of religion above all.
They claimed that any individual who pursued these core values, could be both equal to and as influential as every other member of society.
These teachings form the basic principles of modern European society.
When these ideas first circulated, there was much to be excited about. But disappointment soon set in. It was clear that adopting individualist and secular values wasn’t enough. Merely embracing these ideas didn’t enforce equality across society.
In fact, the increasingly competitive society of the period only succeeded in cementing inequality. If the circulation of these rational Enlightenment principles did anything, it revealed wealth discrepancies and societal unfairness more clearly to more people.
This still holds true today: middle- and working-class people are aware of their plight and remain disillusioned. It’s this suffering that makes them volatile.
People are alienated. Their quests for autonomy, power and a voice have failed.
In this atmosphere of disillusion, many have put their faith in strong leaders. From Napoleon to Trump, the phenomenon of the populist messiah is not a new one.
In short, while the concepts behind the Enlightenment are stirring and powerful, the impracticality of implementing them has caused rage and friction to accumulate against the system and the Enlightenment values that underpin it.
Key ideas in this title
- Societal upheaval and anger have been present for many centuries.
- Ressentiment and amour-propre result in an aggressive and individualistic outlook on the world.
- Rousseau saw early on the danger posed by Enlightenment philosophy.
- Globalization has intensified anger and discontent across the world.
- The future can be brighter, but the West needs to face the facts and change its ways.
- Final summary
