History The belief has been traced back to Edward Gibbon's work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published between 1776 and 1788, where Gibbon argues that the Roman Empire collapsed due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens,J.G.A. Pocock, "Between Machiavelli and Hume: Gibbon as Civic Humanist and Philosophical Historian," Daedalus 105:3 (1976), 153–169; and in Further reading: Pocock, EEG, 303–304; FDF, 304–306. who became lazy, spoiled and inclined to hire foreign mercenaries to handle the defence of state. He believed that reason must triumph over superstition to save Europe's superpowers from a similar fate to the Roman Empire. European declinism Declinism has been found to be rather widespread in the United Kingdom. In a 2015 survey, 70\% of Britons  agreed with the statement that "things are worse than they used to be," even though at the time Britons were in fact "richer, healthier and longer-living than ever before . "  However, it was also mentioned that many of the things that older people mourn from their youths were no longer existent in modern society. British historian Robert Tombs suggested that the United Kingdom has faced several 'bouts' of declinism, as far back as the 1880s when German competition in manufactured goods was first felt and then again in the 1960s and 1970s, with economic worries, rapid decolonisation and a perception of dwindling power and influence in every field. Tombs however, concluded that "Declinism is at best a distortion of reality" and denied suggestions that Britain was no longer the great power it once was . See also Chronological snobbery Conservatism Counter-Enlightenment Cultural genocide Degeneration theory Exceptionalism Nostalgia Societal collapse Renewalism Palingenetic ultranationalism
History The belief has been traced back to Edward Gibbon's work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published between 1776 and 1788, where Gibbon argues that the Roman Empire collapsed due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens,J.G.A. Pocock, "Between Machiavelli and Hume: Gibbon as Civic Humanist and Philosophical Historian," Daedalus 105:3 (1976), 153–169; and in Further reading: Pocock, EEG, 303–304; FDF, 304–306. who became lazy, spoiled and inclined to hire foreign mercenaries to handle the defence of state. He believed that reason must triumph over superstition to save Europe's great powers from a similar fate to the Roman Empire. European declinism The theory of diclinism had been noted in the United Kingdom. In a 2015 survey, 70\% of Britons surveyed agreed with the statement that "things are worse than they used to be," even though at the time Britons were in fact "richer, healthier and longer-living than ever before " . However, it was also noted in the survey that many of the things that older people mourned from their youths were no longer existent in modern society. British historian Robert Tombs suggested that the United Kingdom has faced several 'bouts' of declinism, as far back as the 1880s when German competition in manufactured goods was first felt and then again in the 1960s and 1970s, with economic worries, the rapid dissolution of the British Empire, and a perception of dwindling power and influence in every field. Tombs however, concluded that "Declinism is at best a distortion of reality" and noted that Britain is still considered a great power by modern standards, even with the dissolution of empire . See also Chronological snobbery Conservatism Counter-Enlightenment Degeneration theory Social cycle theory Exceptionalism Nostalgia Societal collapse Renewalism Palingenetic ultranationalism
R
superpowers
great powers
R
Declinism has been found to be rather widespread
The theory of diclinism had been noted
A
surveyed
D
.
A
.
R
mentioned
noted in the survey
R
mourn
mourned
R
rapid decolonisation
the rapid dissolution of the British Empire,
R
denied suggestions that Britain was no longer the great power it once was
noted that Britain is still considered a great power by modern standards, even with the dissolution of empire
R
Cultural genocide Degeneration
Degeneration theory Social cycle