The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion
Charts the long history of resentment, from its emergence to its establishment as the word of the moment.
 
The term “resentment,” often casually paired with words like “hatred,” “rage,” and “fear,” has dominated US news analysis since November 2016. Despite its increased use, this word seems to defy easy categorization. Does “resentment” describe many interlocking sentiments, or is it just another way of saying “anger”? Does it suggest an irrational grievance, as opposed to a legitimate callout of injustice? Does it imply political leanings, or is it nonpartisan by nature?
 
In The Return of Resentment, Robert A. Schneider explores these questions and more, moving from eighteenth-century Britain to the aftermath of the French Revolution to social movements throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on a wide range of writers, thinkers, and historical experiences, Schneider illustrates how resentment has morphed across time, coming to express a collective sentiment felt by people and movements across the political spectrum. In this history, we discover resentment’s modernity and its ambiguity—how it can be used to dismiss legitimate critique and explain away violence, but also convey a moral stance that demands recognition. Schneider anatomizes the many ways resentment has been used to label present-day movements, from followers of Trump and supporters of Brexit to radical Islamicists and proponents of identity politics. Addressing our contemporary political situation in a novel way, The Return of Resentment challenges us to think critically about the roles different emotions play in politics.
1141114774
The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion
Charts the long history of resentment, from its emergence to its establishment as the word of the moment.
 
The term “resentment,” often casually paired with words like “hatred,” “rage,” and “fear,” has dominated US news analysis since November 2016. Despite its increased use, this word seems to defy easy categorization. Does “resentment” describe many interlocking sentiments, or is it just another way of saying “anger”? Does it suggest an irrational grievance, as opposed to a legitimate callout of injustice? Does it imply political leanings, or is it nonpartisan by nature?
 
In The Return of Resentment, Robert A. Schneider explores these questions and more, moving from eighteenth-century Britain to the aftermath of the French Revolution to social movements throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on a wide range of writers, thinkers, and historical experiences, Schneider illustrates how resentment has morphed across time, coming to express a collective sentiment felt by people and movements across the political spectrum. In this history, we discover resentment’s modernity and its ambiguity—how it can be used to dismiss legitimate critique and explain away violence, but also convey a moral stance that demands recognition. Schneider anatomizes the many ways resentment has been used to label present-day movements, from followers of Trump and supporters of Brexit to radical Islamicists and proponents of identity politics. Addressing our contemporary political situation in a novel way, The Return of Resentment challenges us to think critically about the roles different emotions play in politics.
25.0 Pre Order
The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion

The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion

by Robert A. Schneider
The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion

The Return of Resentment: The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of a Political Emotion

by Robert A. Schneider

Paperback(First Edition)

$25.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on June 5, 2025

Related collections and offers


Overview

Charts the long history of resentment, from its emergence to its establishment as the word of the moment.
 
The term “resentment,” often casually paired with words like “hatred,” “rage,” and “fear,” has dominated US news analysis since November 2016. Despite its increased use, this word seems to defy easy categorization. Does “resentment” describe many interlocking sentiments, or is it just another way of saying “anger”? Does it suggest an irrational grievance, as opposed to a legitimate callout of injustice? Does it imply political leanings, or is it nonpartisan by nature?
 
In The Return of Resentment, Robert A. Schneider explores these questions and more, moving from eighteenth-century Britain to the aftermath of the French Revolution to social movements throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on a wide range of writers, thinkers, and historical experiences, Schneider illustrates how resentment has morphed across time, coming to express a collective sentiment felt by people and movements across the political spectrum. In this history, we discover resentment’s modernity and its ambiguity—how it can be used to dismiss legitimate critique and explain away violence, but also convey a moral stance that demands recognition. Schneider anatomizes the many ways resentment has been used to label present-day movements, from followers of Trump and supporters of Brexit to radical Islamicists and proponents of identity politics. Addressing our contemporary political situation in a novel way, The Return of Resentment challenges us to think critically about the roles different emotions play in politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780226840192
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication date: 06/05/2025
Series: The Life of Ideas
Edition description: First Edition
Pages: 312
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Robert A. Schneider is professor of history at Indiana University Bloomington. He is the author of three books, including, most recently, Dignified Retreat: Writers and Intellectuals in the Age of Richelieu.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Sensible Resentment in the Age of Sensibility: The Eighteenth Century
Chapter 2: Contentious Resentment: Acting out Resentment in the Early Modern Past
Chapter 3: A Specter Is Haunting Europe: The Specter of a Resentful “People”
Chapter 4: The Nietzschean Moment
Chapter 5: The Rise and Decline of the “Resentment Paradigm”
Chapter 6: The Uses of Resentment
Chapter 7: The Two Sixties and Resentment: One Without, the Other With
Chapter 8: The Return of Resentment: Anatomizing a Contemporary Political Emotion
Conclusion: Thinking about Resentment Today
Notes
Index
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews