Revisiting Duelling and Fencing in the Sociology of Norbert Elias
The aim of this chapter is twofold: first, to relate the analysis of duelling in the ‘Boxing and Duelling’ (BD) manuscript with other Elias’s works where duelling is discussed; and second, to expand Elias’s analysis on the specific development of duelling
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of this chapter is twofold: on the one hand, to relate the analysis of duelling in the ‘Boxing and Duelling’ (BD) manuscript with other Elias’s works where duelling is discussed; on the other hand, to expand Elias’s analysis on the specific development of duelling and fencing in the French case by introducing key concepts such as ‘royal mechanism’, ‘quest for excitement’ and ‘informalisation’. The BD manuscript shows a clear link between processes of state formation, monopoly of violence and changes in the militaristic ethos of the ruling classes through the analysis of their combat activities in civil society (not warfare). Changes in the management of violence of the upper classes are explicitly visible in these combat activities. Thus, they constitute a good candidate for comparisons on the different patterns of civilising processes. As Elias states in BD: One of the central problems of the development of the state organisation in Europe was in fact the problem of the pacification of the upper ranks of society, of the nobles and the gentleman classes among whom traditions as of physical violence – traditions of fighting as a high status symbol – had taken string roots. That the pacification of the gentleman classes in England proceeded in some respects along lines which were different from those along which it proceeded in France and most Continental countries was one of the reasons for the different development of English and other societies (p. 208).
Seen from a strictly sociology of sport approach, the BD manuscript provides good insights to understanding why the genesis of modern boxing (and sports in general) is to be found in England whereas France played a paramount role R. Sánchez García (*) Universidad Europea, Madrid, Spain E-Mail: [email protected] © Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH 2018 J. Haut et al. (eds.), Excitement Processes, DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-14912-3_11
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(though not exclusive, with Spain and Italy being the two other key players) on the development of fencing. The BD manuscript makes clear how the English distanced themselves from duelling1 with swords (boxing as a fist duel), preventing a strong fencing tradition. On the contrary, the French case showed the maintenance of duelling as a respectable practice for higher classes that would evolve into the competitive discipline of fencing. Savate, using kicks and punches, remained as a low class discipline without the patronage of high classes (focused on fencing) and did not develop to the same extent as English boxing.2 The BD manuscript expresses the same lines of argument that resonate among The Court Society, On the Process of Civilisation, The Genesis of the Naval Profession, Quest for Excitement and The Germans. Through all these books Elias unfolds the backbone of his theory on the civilising process based on the longterm comparison of French, English and German cases. These three European countries showed different civilising patterns, expressed in different state formation and monopol
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