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It has become very difficult to find reliable popular resources for the history of Western civilization. The multiculturalism and political correctness that dominate our media and universities have imposed a news blackout on almost everyone who wants to say something positive about the roots of Western society. A wonderful addition to the Politically Incorrect Guide series fills the gap. The author is an expert on Dante, a professor of English, The story begins with the Greeks, and the author does a masterful job of showing how the concerns and preoccupations of the Greeks with fate, honor and dignity are still relevant today. He shows us how our political machinery, rooted as it is in the history of Greece and Rome, evolved into the imperfect yet the best system on earth. The basic conservatism of the American political system is shown to be an outgrowth of Roman thinking and practice. Just how dark were the Dark Ages? Not very. In fact, they were a time of incredible technological advance. Catholic monks invented modern farming methods, architects and artisans introduced innovative building techniques, and Thomas Aquinas built the intellectual framework for the full flowering of Western science. We also get a good lesson on the effects of climate change. Contrary to the hysterical Al Gore, the real enemy, historically, is cold weather. That's what kills harvests, causes populations to shrink and leads to the withering of societies. One particularly cold snap provided the ice bridge that allowed hordes of barbarians to cross the Danube and begin the destruction of the Roman Empire. Warm weather, on the other hand, meant better crop yields and more exploration and discovery. The author compellingly presents the case for Christianity's crucial role in placing the God-fearing individual at the center of the moral order, and contrasts the record of Occidental governments with that of systems that subordinate individuals to an all-powerful state. He also gives an interesting description of the various heresies that arose in the early Church, and explains how their extinction led to a stronger Christianity with Jesus at its center. Sprinkled throughout the book are many suggestions for books and movies that reflect and value the most fundamental principles of freedom, individualism, and our cultural and religious heritage. Even if a reader is well versed in the history of our culture, he will find much that is new and enlightening. Read this book, and you will never again feel the need to apologize for "Western Civ." (Regnery, 2008, 340 pp, $19.95) |
and a teacher of Providence College's acclaimed Western Civilization Core Curriculum. He takes the reader on an informative trip, beginning with the Greeks and Romans, on through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, right up to the present.
