The British historian Alec Ryrie publishes 'The Age of Hitler,' an essay that analyzes why, eight decades after the end of World War II, the figure of Adolf Hitler continues to serve as an absolute moral reference in culture, politics, and public debate. Ryrie argues that just as the figure of Jesus Christ guided the ethical conscience of the West for centuries, Nazism replaced that symbolic framework in the 20th century by establishing Hitler as the universal emblem of evil. The author explores how this fixation manifests in political discussions, historical memory, and even pop culture, from Star Wars to Harry Potter. The book warns that this dependence on an 'absolute evil' can hinder the understanding of current ethical dilemmas, especially in a context where both right and left sectors are beginning to challenge the taboos associated with Nazism. Ryrie proposes that the progressive collapse of the post-war moral consensus forces us to imagine new ethical compasses for the 21st century. Author of 'Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World' and 'Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt,' Ryrie is a Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University and a Fellow of the British Academy.
