The History of Loneliness

From the 18th to the 21st century, attitudes towards loneliness have changed repeatedly: it has been seen as both a source of bliss and self-discovery, and a dangerous pathology, and in recent decades, some countries have begun to speak with concern about the onset of a "loneliness epidemic." To understand the historical prerequisites of this social phenomenon, historian David Vincent suggests looking at it from cultural and sociological perspectives. What is loneliness, and how does it differ from solitude? How have church and state institutions attempted to take control of it? What role have the secularization of society and urbanization played in the formation of new concepts of loneliness? The book introduces the history of many places and practices of voluntary and forced solitude - from monasteries to solitary cells, from solo circumnavigations to the closed "bubbles" that smartphones and headphones immerse a person in today... David Vincent is a historian, PhD, teaching at the Open University (OU) and the University of Keele.