Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006)

Axel Fliethmann

doi:10.5771/9783988580887-35

Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006)

Translated title of the contribution: Enlightenment and conspiracy. Abbé Augustin Barruel's Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) and Peter Joseph's Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006)

Axel Fliethmann

European Languages

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Why is it, that at the height of the Enlightenment we encounter the first prolific production of genuine conspiracy theories? Why do they flourish at a time, best illustrated in Immanuel Kant’s endorsement of subjective freedom and the demand to liberate the public sphere from censorship? And is this situation around 1800 comparable to today’s erosion of critique in the age of uncurbed digital data production?
My contribution attempts to compare two exemplary conspiracy theories, each representing the broadest appeal in their time, Augustin Barruel’s Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) and Peter Joseph’s Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007). The analysis of both conspiracy theories will focus on how they address the role of the subject and that of the public sphere from a media-theoretical perspective with the aim of bringing into focus the conceptual challenges posed and dangerous implication perpetuated where criticism and conspiracy overlap.

Translated title of the contribution	Enlightenment and conspiracy. Abbé Augustin Barruel's Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) and Peter Joseph's Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006)
Original language	German
Title of host publication	Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft
Subtitle of host publication	Verschwörung
Editors	Andreas Dorrer, Axel Fliethmann, Alison Lewis, Christiane Weller
Place of Publication	Baden-Baden Germany
Publisher	Nomos
Chapter	2
Pages	35-54
Number of pages	20
Volume	17
ISBN (Electronic)	9783988580887
ISBN (Print)	9783988580870
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5771/9783988580887-35
Publication status	Published - 2024

Publication series

Name	LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies
Publisher	Nomos
Volume	17
ISSN (Print)	1869-1021

Access to Document

10.5771/9783988580887-35Licence: CC BY

652480304-oaFinal published version, 153 KBLicence: CC BY

1 Edited Book

Verschwörung/Conspiracy: Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft/Australian Yearbook of German Literary and Cultural Studies
Translated title of the contribution: ConspiracyWeller, C. (Editor), Dorrer, A., Fliethmann, A. (Editor) & Lewis, A. (Editor), 2024, Baden-Baden Germany: Nomos. 242 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review

Cite this

Fliethmann, A. (2024). Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006). In A. Dorrer, A. Fliethmann, A. Lewis, & C. Weller (Eds.), Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft: Verschwörung (Vol. 17, pp. 35-54). (LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies; Vol. 17). Nomos. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783988580887-35

Fliethmann, Axel. / Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006). Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft: Verschwörung. editor / Andreas Dorrer ; Axel Fliethmann ; Alison Lewis ; Christiane Weller. Vol. 17 Baden-Baden Germany : Nomos, 2024. pp. 35-54 (LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies).

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abstract = "Why is it, that at the height of the Enlightenment we encounter the first prolific production of genuine conspiracy theories? Why do they flourish at a time, best illustrated in Immanuel Kant{\textquoteright}s endorsement of subjective freedom and the demand to liberate the public sphere from censorship? And is this situation around 1800 comparable to today{\textquoteright}s erosion of critique in the age of uncurbed digital data production?My contribution attempts to compare two exemplary conspiracy theories, each representing the broadest appeal in their time, Augustin Barruel{\textquoteright}s Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) and Peter Joseph{\textquoteright}s Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007). The analysis of both conspiracy theories will focus on how they address the role of the subject and that of the public sphere from a media-theoretical perspective with the aim of bringing into focus the conceptual challenges posed and dangerous implication perpetuated where criticism and conspiracy overlap. ",

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Fliethmann, A 2024, Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006). in A Dorrer, A Fliethmann, A Lewis & C Weller (eds), Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft: Verschwörung. vol. 17, LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies, vol. 17, Nomos, Baden-Baden Germany, pp. 35-54. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783988580887-35

Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006). / Fliethmann, Axel.
Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft: Verschwörung. ed. / Andreas Dorrer; Axel Fliethmann; Alison Lewis; Christiane Weller. Vol. 17 Baden-Baden Germany: Nomos, 2024. p. 35-54 (LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies; Vol. 17).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review

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AB - Why is it, that at the height of the Enlightenment we encounter the first prolific production of genuine conspiracy theories? Why do they flourish at a time, best illustrated in Immanuel Kant’s endorsement of subjective freedom and the demand to liberate the public sphere from censorship? And is this situation around 1800 comparable to today’s erosion of critique in the age of uncurbed digital data production?My contribution attempts to compare two exemplary conspiracy theories, each representing the broadest appeal in their time, Augustin Barruel’s Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) and Peter Joseph’s Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007). The analysis of both conspiracy theories will focus on how they address the role of the subject and that of the public sphere from a media-theoretical perspective with the aim of bringing into focus the conceptual challenges posed and dangerous implication perpetuated where criticism and conspiracy overlap.

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Fliethmann A. Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006). In Dorrer A, Fliethmann A, Lewis A, Weller C, editors, Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft: Verschwörung. Vol. 17. Baden-Baden Germany: Nomos. 2024. p. 35-54. (LIMBUS: Australian Yearbook German Literary and Cultural Studies). doi: 10.5771/9783988580887-35

Aufklärung und Verschwörung. Abbé Augustin Barruels Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism (1797) und Peter Josephs Zeitgeist: The Movie (2006)

Abstract

Publication series

Access to Document

Research output

Verschwörung/Conspiracy: Australisches Jahrbuch für germanistische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft/Australian Yearbook of German Literary and Cultural Studies

Cite this