Henry Sidgwick memorial lecture, 1908 Balfour, Arthur James 1848-1930 creator text utu 2022 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Decadence" by Arthur James Balfour is an exploratory philosophical essay delivered as a lecture at Newnham College in the early 20th century. This thoughtful treatment delves into the concept of decadence, focusing not on its artistic or literary manifestations, which are often discussed, but rather its implications for political and national decline. Balfour's discussion is framed within the context of historic civilizations and the greater questions of societal evolution, stability, and potential decay. In the essay, Balfour presents a series of reflections on the nature of civilizational history through the lens of decadence, pondering whether it is an inevitable part of the life cycle of nations, akin to aging in individuals. He investigates the factors that may contribute to the decline of great empires, specifically referencing the Roman Empire as a case study to illustrate the complexities inherent in identifying the reasons behind such profound shifts. He contemplates the nuances between decadence as a discrete process versus more apparent misfortunes like war or famine that often accompany societal downfalls. Ultimately, Balfour invites readers to consider the intricate interplay of historical, cultural, and social elements that contribute to the rise and fall of civilizations, leaving them with a sense of caution about the future trajectory of societies as they navigate the currents of progress and potential decline. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2022-06-01 Thomas Frost and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Originally published: United Kingdom: The University Press, 1908 Political science Nationalism HM United Kingdom: The University Press, 1908 08019225 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68219 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68219 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134557.0 68219