Nostalgia of Realpolitick

During a lecture on Antony and Cleopatra, Professor Little brought up the concept of “the nostalgia of realpolitick.” Loosely translated as “real politics,” realpolitick refers to the idea that politics can be manipulative and influential in a controlling way. "Nostalgia of realpolitick," then, refers to the idea that we can reflect on previous eras in order to influence modern political and social thought. For example, many people in America today reflect on the 1950s as an ideal time when everyone lived in the peaceful suburbs and had a beautiful house with a picket fence, a spouse and two kids, and a solid job. Because we reminisce about this ideal time period, we often try to recapture its essence in the current twenty-first century. We may say, “How come we don’t have a nice house with a picket fence these days? How come we don’t have solid jobs anymore? We should try to regain that excellence!” This obsession with striving to recapture a long gone era gives people false hope that we can go back to an era where everything worked well. In typical realpolitick fashion, politicians and people in power will capitalize on this nostalgia for previous eras in order to fuel their own political agendas. Thus, the technique of reminding the public of their nostalgia for the past can function as a strategic device for politicians.

Professor Little brought up this concept because he wanted to show how English citizens of the 1600s would often look back on ancient Rome with a sense of nostalgia because they viewed Rome as an ideal society. This nostalgia for Rome worked to affect modern 16th and 17th century policies and politics in England. Since it is difficult, virtually impossible in fact, to consider the present time an “ideal time,” Rome most likely was not considered to be an ideal society at the time of its existence, so this concept of Rome as “ideal” was probably fabricated by England in order to influence contemporary English political and social practices by making people want to strive to be like the ancient Romans. The “nostalgia of realpolitick,” then, can be seen as “faux” nostalgia, and more strategic than realistic.

Roberta Wolfson
Discussion 1B (Ian Hoch, Thursdays at 4)