Bad Habits. Second Nature between Environment and Self-control

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Kleeberg

Abstract

19^th century discourses on the social question show an increasing interest of economists and social engineers, physicians and psychologists, pedagogues, or philanthropists in the environmental and structural causes of poverty. Often, their respective explanations referred to habitual modes of behavior, practices and attitudes, to bad habits in the sense of weak will, lack of self-control, bad character, unrestrained appetites, civilizatory underdevelopment, and the like. In order to explore new perspectives for research, the project assembles scholars working on related aspects in 18^th to 20^th century approaches to instinctive and emotional behavior, socio-cultural norms and moral economies, practices of self-control and social disciplination.

Publikation

Bernhard Kleeberg (Hg.): Schlechte Angewohnheiten. Eine Anthologie 1750–1900. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2012.