Jonah Goldberg reviews Charles Murray’s Human Accomplishment, which is an accomplishment in itself since the book’s theme is human excellence from 800 B.C. to 1950. Great essay, read the whole thing.
Thank you for pointing out this article, Peter. I am not sure that one can reduce the achievement of Western civilization to sociological data and charts, however. The beauty of Western civilization is best experienced by standing quietly in the Sistine Chapel, pondering the genius of our system of government and liberty, or reading Shakespeare and Yeats. Although the non-Western world has given us Confucius and the Great Wall of China, cultural relativists who try to equate sticking a bone in your nose or Polynesian stories with the depth and breadth of Western civilization are a laughable joke.
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Thank you for pointing out this article, Peter. I am not sure that one can reduce the achievement of Western civilization to sociological data and charts, however. The beauty of Western civilization is best experienced by standing quietly in the Sistine Chapel, pondering the genius of our system of government and liberty, or reading Shakespeare and Yeats. Although the non-Western world has given us Confucius and the Great Wall of China, cultural relativists who try to equate sticking a bone in your nose or Polynesian stories with the depth and breadth of Western civilization are a laughable joke.