The Conventional Lies of Our Civilization

work by Nordau

Also known as: “Die conventionellen Lügen der Kulturmenschheit”(Show More)

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June 17, 2026

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The Conventional Lies of Our Civilization is a book by Max Nordau, published in 1883. It is a critique of 19th-century institutions, particularly organized religion, arguing that they are inadequate to meet human needs. The book was controversial, banned in Russia and Austria, but widely translated and popular. Nordau, a physician and writer, was also an early Jewish nationalist who advocated for Palestine as a Jewish homeland. His work is sometimes compared to Friedrich Nietzsche's critiques of Judeo-Christian ethics, though Nordau's focus was on societal institutions rather than a philosophical reevaluation of values.12

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Max Nordau
…conventionellen Lügen der Kulturmenschheit (The Conventional Lies of Our Civilization), a vitriolic attack on the inadequacy of 19th-century institutions to meet human needs; he took a particularly harsh look at organized religion. Banned in Russia and Austria, the book nevertheless was translated into numerous languages and went into some…
Read More
…conventionellen Lügen der Kulturmenschheit (The Conventional Lies of Our Civilization), a vitriolic attack on the inadequacy of 19th-century institutions to meet human needs; he took a particularly harsh look at organized religion. Banned in Russia and Austria, the book nevertheless was translated into numerous languages and went into some…
Read More