Burning of books

views updated

Burning of books. A recurrent political and religious activity, indicating the power of words and ideas to call in question the validity and authority of existing systems. Familiar examples are ‘the burning of the books’ under Ch'in Shih Huang Ti (Qin Shihuangdi) (213 BCE), Ch'eng Yi (Ch'eng Hao), the burning of the library of Alexandria, the burning of the works of Maimonides, the burning of books under the Nazis.

More From encyclopedia.com