Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions

Blasphemy is an offence which is specifically identified with the creation and discussion of discourse. Thus it is not surprising that it has regularly been a battleground for cultural theorists and those interested in the investigation of the creation of the modernist individual. This paper investi...

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Main Author: David Nash
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée 2005-12-01
Series:Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cve/14098
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author David Nash
author_facet David Nash
author_sort David Nash
collection DOAJ
description Blasphemy is an offence which is specifically identified with the creation and discussion of discourse. Thus it is not surprising that it has regularly been a battleground for cultural theorists and those interested in the investigation of the creation of the modernist individual. This paper investigates the virtues and vices of such theoretical approaches to blasphemy and indicates some possible paradigms for the wider study of deviance. In particular a comparison of approaches emanating from English and French traditions is especially illuminating. The empiricist Whig progressive model which emphasises the development of tolerance in the nineteenth century can be contrasted with models emanating from France which emphasise the creation of modern surveillance and the destruction of the subject and his individual response. Ultimately both these models have important repercussions upon how modern governments and legislators think about verbal and written dissidence.
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publisher Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée
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spelling doaj-art-bee8377c18194f129572aa87fda43f212025-01-30T10:21:25ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeCahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens0220-56102271-61492005-12-016110.4000/11s98Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British TraditionsDavid NashBlasphemy is an offence which is specifically identified with the creation and discussion of discourse. Thus it is not surprising that it has regularly been a battleground for cultural theorists and those interested in the investigation of the creation of the modernist individual. This paper investigates the virtues and vices of such theoretical approaches to blasphemy and indicates some possible paradigms for the wider study of deviance. In particular a comparison of approaches emanating from English and French traditions is especially illuminating. The empiricist Whig progressive model which emphasises the development of tolerance in the nineteenth century can be contrasted with models emanating from France which emphasise the creation of modern surveillance and the destruction of the subject and his individual response. Ultimately both these models have important repercussions upon how modern governments and legislators think about verbal and written dissidence.https://journals.openedition.org/cve/14098
spellingShingle David Nash
Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
title Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
title_full Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
title_fullStr Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
title_full_unstemmed Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
title_short Blasphemers or Profaners? Shaping Deviance in the French and British Traditions
title_sort blasphemers or profaners shaping deviance in the french and british traditions
url https://journals.openedition.org/cve/14098
work_keys_str_mv AT davidnash blasphemersorprofanersshapingdevianceinthefrenchandbritishtraditions