Neo-medievalism

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Neo-medievalism (or neomedievalism) is a neologism that was first popularized by Italian medievalist Umberto Eco in his 1973 essay "Dreaming in the Middle Ages"[1]. The term has no clear definition but has since been used by various writers such as medieval historians who see it as the intersection between popular fantasy and medieval history;[2] as a term describing the post-modern study of medieval history;[3] and as political theory about modern international relations.[4]

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[edit] Culture

The widespread interest in medieval themes in popular culture, especially computer games such as MMORPGs, films and television, neo-medieval music, and popular literature, has been called neomedieval. Critics have discussed why medieval themes continue to fascinate audiences in a modern, heavily technological world. A possible explanation is the need for a romanticized historical narrative to clarify the confusing panorama of current political and cultural events.[5]

[edit] Political theory

The idea of neomedievalism in political theory was first discussed in 1977 by theorist Hedly Bull in The Anarchial Society: A Study of Order in World Politics (pg. 254-55). Hedly Bull suggested society was moving towards a form of "neomedievalism" in which individual notions of rights and a growing sense of a "world common good" were undermining national sovereignty. He saw a complex layering of international, national and subnational organizations which might help "avoid the classic dangers of the system of sovereign states by a structure of overlapping structures and cross-cutting loyalties that hold all peoples together in a universal society while at the same time avoiding the concentration inherent in a world government."

Essentially agreeing with Hedly Bull, Shane Martin Coughlan, a masters student of international studies at the University of Birmingham, sees the forces of globalization and the emergence of international institutions as possibly acting to restore a more "medieval" system of overlapping political authority systems. Though a conspicuously 'medieval' order does not exist, certain political trends point toward future power fragmentations that are reminiscent of arrangements prior to the rise of the nation state. The European Union, for example, has eroded the traditional concept of state sovereignty amongst its member states, which do not have exclusive, sovereign authority within their countries or over their citizens. European law regulates certain activities of national governments and individuals, but it is not ascendant over the laws of national governments. Power is dispersed between local, national and international institutions, none of which are the sole arbiter of political authority. In a neo-medieval structure the state remains strong, but it is just one of several tiers of governance. It is therefore not the sole arbiter of political authority and no single authority commands the exclusive loyalty of the individual. Coughlan writes in his paper "Globalisation and Governance - Essay One": "The medieval existence of overlapping authorities and multiple or overlapping loyalties may return to us, albeit in a substantially altered form, due to forces of globalisation. These authorities and loyalties would create a new international power structure that 'undermines the authorities of states' and potentially replaces them altogether."[6]

Stephen J. Kobrin in 1998 added the forces of the digital world economy to the picture of neomedievalism. In an article entitled "Back to the Future: Neomedievalism and the Postmodern Digital World Economy" published in 1998 in the Journal of International Affairs[4], argues that sovereign state as we know it—defined within certain territorial borders—is about to change profoundly, if not to wither away, due in part to the digital world economy created by the Internet, suggesting that cyberspace is a trans-territorial domain operating outside of the jurisdiction of national law.

Although Hedly Bull originally envisioned neomedievalism as a positive trend which might help "avoid the classic dangers of the system of sovereign states", neomedievalism has its critics. Bruce Holsinger in Neomedievalism, Neoconservatism, and the War on Terror (2007) argues that neoconservatives have exploited neomedievalism's conceptual slipperiness for their own tactical ends.[7]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Umberto Eco, "Dreaming the Middle Ages," in Travels in Hyperreality, transl. by W. Weaver, NY: Harcourt Brace, 1986, 61-72. Umberto Eco said "..we are at present witnessing, both in Europe and America, a period of renewed interest in the Middle Ages, with a curious oscillation between fantastic neomedievalism and responsible philological examination.."
  2. ^ David Ketterer (2004). "Chapter 18: Fantasic Neomedievalism" by Kim Selling, in Flashes of the Fantastic.
  3. ^ Cary John Lenehan. "Postmodern Medievalism", University of Tasmania, November 1994.
  4. ^ a b Stephen J. Kobrin. "Back to the Future: Neomedievalism and the Postmodern Digital World Economy" (1997).
  5. ^ Eddo Stern. A Touch of Medieval: Narrative, Magic and Computer Technology in Massively Multiplayer Computer Role-Playing Games. Tampre University Press 2002. Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  6. ^ Shane Martin Coughlan. Globalisation and Governance, Essay One. Shaneland.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
  7. ^ Melissa Maki. Professor's Work Spans Disciplines. University of Virginia. Retrieved on 2006-12-17.

[edit] External links

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