Rites of Spring | The Great war and the birth of the modern age by Modris Eksteins
It’s a brilliant old book written by Modris Eksteins.
When we reviews the history of early 20th century, about how the first world war happened, and how it has extended to the second, how the civilized world indulged in this self-deconstructed madness ? we used to seek for the evil, the one who has caused all these insanity events in human history, but rarely, we would talk about those who buttressed it and how media; propagandas ; culture activities ; prejudicial, narrowgauge interpretation of ideology has reflected the human-kind of early 20th century.
One may ask, what can we learn from the history, to avoid the eternity returns to this kind of dehumanized freak-show, to examine for likeness in the century we are living now, you may find some similarities, for differences, what do we really learned.
Indeed, it’s kind of freak-show played by human-kind.
“In the end this idealism completed it’s circle, turned upon itself, and became anthropophagous. What began as idealism ended as nihilism. What began as celebration ended as scourge. What began as life ended as death”
– Modris Eksteins / Rites of Spring