Introductory Observations - Softcover

John Gideon Millingen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0371899265 ISBN 13: 9780371899267

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Introductory Observations by John Gideon Millingen. Introductory Observations surveys the grim continuum of duelling across civilizations, arguing that the practice, rooted in barbarism, reveals as much about social norms as about violence. The author traces the origin of duelling from the dark ages when ordeals and trials by combat served as judicial devices, through the rise of chivalry and the codes regulating tournaments, to the later efforts of states and churches to limit or abolish duelling. The narrative moves century by century and country by country, detailing celebrated judicial duels, edicts against duels, the emergence of courts of honour, and the clash of passions that accompanied civil and religious upheavals in France, Italy, Spain, and the British Isles. It also surveys the practice in the United States and in the East, showing how duelling persisted in new settings and under shifting social orders. Millingen reasons that studying these bloody episodes yields insight into the evolution of law, morality, and civilization, not triumphalism but sober reflection on human folly and the cost of honour-chasing. The work functions as both chronicle and critique, urging readers to question the moral justifications of duels.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0371899265
• ISBN 13: 9780371899267
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 424