The Tyranny of Opinion

Honor in the Construction of the Mexican Public Sphere

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Mexico, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Gender Studies
Cover of the book The Tyranny of Opinion by Pablo Piccato, Duke University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Pablo Piccato ISBN: 9780822391753
Publisher: Duke University Press Publication: January 11, 2010
Imprint: Duke University Press Books Language: English
Author: Pablo Piccato
ISBN: 9780822391753
Publisher: Duke University Press
Publication: January 11, 2010
Imprint: Duke University Press Books
Language: English

In the mid-to-late nineteenth century, as Mexico emerged out of decades of civil war and foreign invasion, a modern notion of honor—of one’s reputation and self-worth—became the keystone in the construction of public culture. Mexicans gave great symbolic, social, and material value to honor. Only honorable men could speak in the name of the public. Honor earned these men, and a few women, support and credit, and gave civilian politicians a claim to authority after an era dominated by military heroism.

Tracing how notions of honor changed in nineteenth-century Mexico, Pablo Piccato examines legislation, journalism, parliamentary debates, criminal defamation cases, personal stories, urban protests, and the rise and decline of dueling in the 1890s. He highlights the centrality of notions of honor to debates over the nature of Mexican liberalism, describing how honor helped to define the boundaries between public and private life; balance competing claims of free speech, public opinion, and the protection of individual reputations; and motivate politicians, writers, and other men to enter public life. As Piccato explains, under the authoritarian rule of Porfirio Díaz, the state became more active in the protection of individual reputations. It implemented new restrictions on the press. This did not prevent people from all walks of life from defending their honor and reputations, whether in court or through violence. The Tyranny of Opinion is a major contribution to a new understanding of Mexican political history and the evolution of Mexican civil society.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the mid-to-late nineteenth century, as Mexico emerged out of decades of civil war and foreign invasion, a modern notion of honor—of one’s reputation and self-worth—became the keystone in the construction of public culture. Mexicans gave great symbolic, social, and material value to honor. Only honorable men could speak in the name of the public. Honor earned these men, and a few women, support and credit, and gave civilian politicians a claim to authority after an era dominated by military heroism.

Tracing how notions of honor changed in nineteenth-century Mexico, Pablo Piccato examines legislation, journalism, parliamentary debates, criminal defamation cases, personal stories, urban protests, and the rise and decline of dueling in the 1890s. He highlights the centrality of notions of honor to debates over the nature of Mexican liberalism, describing how honor helped to define the boundaries between public and private life; balance competing claims of free speech, public opinion, and the protection of individual reputations; and motivate politicians, writers, and other men to enter public life. As Piccato explains, under the authoritarian rule of Porfirio Díaz, the state became more active in the protection of individual reputations. It implemented new restrictions on the press. This did not prevent people from all walks of life from defending their honor and reputations, whether in court or through violence. The Tyranny of Opinion is a major contribution to a new understanding of Mexican political history and the evolution of Mexican civil society.

More books from Duke University Press

Cover of the book From the Grassroots to the Supreme Court by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Obeah and Other Powers by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Black Performance Theory by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Culture of Class by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Crisis and Capitalism in Contemporary Argentine Cinema by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book The Insubordination of Signs by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Time-Fetishes by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Bright Signals by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Redress for Historical Injustices in the United States by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Early Postmodernism by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Obstruction by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book White Men Challenging Racism by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Utopia Limited by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book The Pursuit of Happiness by Pablo Piccato
Cover of the book Crucible of Conflict by Pablo Piccato
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy