Like Nietzsche, he rails at romanticism, but it is evident that what they both mean by the word is the cliches of second-hand romance. Historic romanticism is in fact the ground-work of their philosophy.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Critics like Nietzsche and Shaw attacked cliches but relied on historic romanticism themselves.
- In plain terms
- They hated fake romance but still used real romantic ideas in their work.
- What can you take from it?
- Critics often rely on the very traditions they claim to reject.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can you reject one part of a tradition and keep another?
- Why do critics contradict themselves?
Another view
Attacking cliches can be distinct from rejecting a whole tradition.
More from Jacques Barzun
No one has ever used historical examples, near or remote, with the detail, precision, and directness to be found in every page of Shaw.
Permalink to quote #27 He never invested his whole moral capital in a man, a book, or a cause, but treasured up wisdom wherever it could be picked up, always with scrupulous acknowle…
Permalink to quote #29 Shaw's emotional development was one with his intellectual strength. His path led him into the thick of the scrimmage, where more spontaneous natures defend th…
Permalink to quote #26
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