From Plato to NATO: The Idea of the West and Its OpponentsSimon and Schuster, 1998 - 610 sider The end of the Cold war and the imminent unification of Europe raises urgent questions about the future of the "Western Alliance". FROM PLATO TO NATO analyses European civilisation's legacy from its inception and traces the ongoing debate about the West through to the present day. David Gress assesses historical accounts of the West and argues that while often attacked as a cover for exploitation, the legitimacy and unity of the West appears to contain both the rationality of the enlightenment and the mythological visions of fascism. It will be up to the Westerners to choose which 'West' they want to embrace. FROM PLATO TO NATO is the first book to make sense of the enduring value of Western politics and culture at a time when the West is facing its greatest challenge since World War Two - how to include new democracies in a world order that is struggling to preserve the egalitarian values of the Western Tradition. |
Innhold
Preface | |
The Failure of Universalism and the Future of Western | |
Introduction | |
Notes | |
The Grand Narrative and Its Fate | |
The Battle over Hellas | |
The Burden of Rome | |
Christianity and the Fall of Rome | |
Germanic Freedom and the Old Western Synthesis | |
Faith Passion and Conquest | |
From Christendom to Civilization | |
The High Tide of Liberalism | |
The Totalitarian Trap | |
The Cold War West 11 Battle in the Heartland | |
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From Plato to NATO: The Idea of the West and Its Opponents David Gress Ingen forhåndsvisning tilgjengelig - 2004 |
Vanlige uttrykk og setninger
American American liberalism ancient argued argument Athenian democracy became began believed bourgeois capitalist Carl Schmitt Catholic century B.C. Charlemagne Christian church claimed classical classical liberal Cold War Commodus communism communist cult culture decline defined democracy and capitalism democratic doctrine early economic elites emperor enemies Enlightenment Europe European faith force France freedom French French Revolution geopolitical German global Grand Narrative Greece Greek historian Hitler human idea ideology imperial individual intellectual Islam king late antiquity later liberal democracy liberty Marxist medieval modern West Montesquieu moral myth National Socialist nature Nietzsche nihilism Old West optimists original Oswald Spengler passion peace philosopher political pope progress prosperity Quoted radical reason regime religion religious revolution Roman Empire Rome Schmitt scholars secular social society Soviet Union Spengler spirit story synthesis T.S. Eliot tradition twentieth century universal Virgil virtue wanted Western civilization Western identity wrote