Is Europe a Peninsula of Asia? : Paul Valéry's "The Crisis of the Mind"(1919) and Its Diffusion

Hashimoto, Yorimitsu

Reconceptualizing Cross-Border Academic Mobility in the Interdisciplinary Research Agenda, 2025, 3-18

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Identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.18910/101336

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Title
Is Europe a Peninsula of Asia? : Paul Valéry's "The Crisis of the Mind"(1919) and Its Diffusion
Creator
NRID
1000080334613 1000080334613
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yorimitsu-hashimoto yorimitsu-hashimoto
Scopus Author ID
56995512600 56995512600
CreatorName
Hashimoto, Yorimitsu
Description
In: Moinuddin Mohammad, Kokado Minori eds. Reconceptualizing Cross-Border Academic Mobility in the Interdisciplinary Research Agenda, International Affairs Office, School of Letters/Graduate School of Humanities, The University of Osaka, 2025, 93p.
Abstract
Paul Valéry's 1919 treatise "The Crisis of the Mind" warned that World War I signaled the decline of Europe's global leadership. Valéry called for a revival of Europe's intellectual and cultural spirit. He questioned the continent's future, implying two options: Europe could maintain its influence or become a mere “peninsula” of Asia. This metaphor became prominent after the Russo–Japanese War, underscoring Europe's geographic and historical entanglement with the larger Eurasian landmass, particularly in its conflicts with Asia. White supremacists in the United States, such as Madison Grant and Lothrop Stoddard, appropriated this concept to support racial theories. Stoddard portrayed World War I as a "civil war" of the white race and advocated for immigration restrictions. In the 1930s, Japan also intensified its endeavors to assert dominance over Asia and the Eurasian continent. Japanese intellectuals influenced by Valéry's Committee for Intellectual Cooperation argued in favor of Japan assuming the task of shaping a new modernity to replace Europe. Valéry acknowledged Europe's crisis but simultaneously envisioned its potential to remain a leading intellectual force. This idea still resonates, as is reflected in French President Emmanuel Macron's 2024 speech on Europe's global role.
Publisher
International Affairs Office, School of Letters/Graduate School of Humanities, The University of Osaka
Source Title
Reconceptualizing Cross-Border Academic Mobility in the Interdisciplinary Research Agenda
Page
3-18
Date of Issued
2025-03
Language
English
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/11094/101336
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18910/101336
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DOI (Publisher Version)
https://doi.org/10.18910/101334
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open access
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単行書 Book