The uniqueness of Western civilization
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Main Authors: | |
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Published: |
Brill,
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Publisher Address: | Leiden Boston |
Publication Dates: | 2011. |
Literature type: | Book |
Language: | English |
Series: |
Studies in critical social sciences ; v. 28 |
Subjects: | |
Carrier Form: | xi, 527 p.: ; 25 cm. |
ISBN: |
9789004192485 (hbk. : alk. paper) 9004192484 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
Index Number: | K103 |
CLC: | K103 |
Call Number: | K103/D829 |
Contents: |
Includes bibliographical references and index. The fall of Western civilization and the rise of multicultural world history -- Eurocentrism over Sinocentrism -- Whence the industrial divergence? -- The continuous creativity of Europe -- The "rise" of Western reason and freedom -- The restlessness of the Western spirit from a Hegelian perspective -- The aristocratic egalitarianism of Indo-Europeans and the primordial origins of Western civilization -- The emergence of the self from the Western "state of nature" and the conciliation of Christianity and aristocratic liberty. This extensively researched book argues that the development of a libertarian culture was an indispensable component of the rise of the West. The roots of the West's superior intellectual and artistic creativity should be traced back to the aristocratic warlike culture of Indo-European speakers. Among the many fascinating topics discussed are: the ascendancy of multicultural historians and the degradation of European history; China's ecological endowments and imperial windfalls; military revolutions in Europe 1300-1800; the science and chivalry of Henry the Navigator ... |