Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Mentality
(2,033 words)

1. Concept

The word “mentality” comes from the French mentalité, in turn derived from the Latin mens (“mind”, “way of thinking”). As a scholarly term, mentality denotes the ensemble of dispositions, attitudes, and ways of thinking that underlie the normal, habitual actions and behaviors of a collective at a particular time [7. 476]; [8. XXI]; [1. 18]. Mentalities are invariably time-bound and subject to historical change. These are thus not close…

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Gareis, Iris, “Mentality”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 26 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_023962>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20190801



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