Pamphlets - controversial writings with a long tradition
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Pamphlets are writings in which someone makes exaggerated and polemical statements on a controversial topic. The factual argumentation is in the background, while the passionate partisanship against a cause predominates. Rhetoric and language style are subordinated to the goal of belittling the opponent.
Origin and change in meaning
The origin of the word "pamphlet" is unclear. It may derive from the name of the protagonist of a love poem popular in the 13th century. Initially, it referred to short texts without a negative connotation. It was only from the 18th century onwards that it was increasingly understood in a pejorative sense as aggressive and polemical. Today, the term is often used to disqualify statements as unobjective and lowbrow.
Distribution and well-known examples
Until the 19th century, it was mainly peddlers and street vendors who distributed pamphlets. With their increasing use as a means of political propaganda, political parties and interest groups took over distribution.
The best-known pamphlets include:
- Émile Zola's "J'accuse" on the Dreyfus affair
- Martin Luther's illustrated mockery of the Pope
- The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels
- Nietzsche's "The Antichrist"
Conclusion
Pamphlets have been used for centuries as a means of exaggerated expression of opinion and propaganda. Despite or precisely because of their polemic nature, some of them have had and continue to have an enormous influence on social debates and historical developments. However, the pejorative connotation of the term "pamphlet" also testifies to the dangers of one-sided agitation.
