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Degeneration is a controversial work by the Hungarian-Jewish physician and writer Max Simon Nordau, in which he explores the concept of "degeneration" in modern society. Written during the late 19th century, a period marked by rapid industrialization and societal changes, the book offers a critique of what Nordau perceives as the moral, cultural, and physical decline of contemporary individuals. He examines various forms of artistic, intellectual, and social degeneration, particularly within European society, and links them to broader cultural and biological factors.Nordau’s primary argument is that certain trends in modern art, literature, and politics reflect signs of degeneration, especially the works of individuals he deems to be part of a "decadent" movement. He criticizes figures like Oscar Wilde, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and others for their departure from traditional values and their supposed embrace of abnormal behavior. Nordau also posits that these individuals, along with society as a whole, are suffering from a decline in mental and physical health, driven by over-civilization and cultural decay.