Man's desire for purity is closely related to their need for order. That is why this desire is most evident during times of crisis when order is under threat. Prof. Arnold Labrie of Maastricht University took this as his basic premise when studying the bourgeois culture of Western Europe in the period from 1870-1914. His project was funded by the Dutch research organisation NWO.
Between 1870 and 1914, society underwent major changes which were perceived as being threatening. For many people, the new major cities - with their large populations, crime, prostitution and lack of hygiene - were proof that the end of civilisation was at hand. It was precisely in this situation that the established bourgeoisie attempted to re-establish traditional standards and values. That aim expressed itself in a desire for purity which took various different forms.
Labrie refers not only to the rise of nationalist and racist movements but also to the importance of cultural and reformist movements and to the ideal of pure art and pure science, which grew in importance precisely in this period. In Labrie's view, one is dealing here with parallel movements which have an underlying cohesion. Purity means order, and in the name of this ideal, the "Other", which threatens that order, is excluded as an impure element.
The Maastricht historian focused primarily on the images used to express that notion of the pure and the impure. He dealt with the literary and philosophical sources, placing them in their socio-cultural context. Amongst those Labrie dealt with were Wagner, Nietzsche, Thomas Mann, Bram Stoker, Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans. According to Labrie, one cannot divorce Wagner's ideal of pure music from his goal of a purified (vegetarian) way of life and a pure Aryan race. Stoker's Dracula is a perfect example of the Other, threatening to infect the British nation by his presence. In this demonic figure, one can find a number of stereotypes which serve to stigmatise the masses, women, and the Jewish people. Like Dracula, the Other is basically anyone who impairs established standards and values and is therefore viewed as a source of chaos.
Labrie's study shows that the desire for purity is closely linked to the tendency towards asceticism which is deeply rooted in the Christian culture of Western Europe. However, he also shows that this desire generally masks a deep preoccupation with the impure. Elevated ideas and crystal-clear truths are not infrequently born of the most impure motives.
Further information:
Prof. Arnold Labrie (Maasticht University)
T +31-43-388 33 14
F +31-43-388 48 16
E-mail: arnold.labrie@history.unimaas.nl