Enduring Western Civilization: The Construction of the Concept of Western Civilization and Its Others

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What do we mean by "Western civilisation" When did the expression originate and why At a time when there is a widespread perception that "Western civilisation" is undergoing a historic crisis, and when postmodernism, feminist theory, afrocentrism, deconstruction and other current philosophical schools define themselves as alternatives to, or critiques of, "Western civilisation," this book seeks to trace the development of the concept of Western civilisation and to examine the reasons for its endurance.

Reviews

"Many of us teachers of "western civilization.,."are caught in an implacable vise: on the one hand, the conservative bullies bray for a bigoted version of the past, or various groups demand "affirmative action" by inclusion in the liberal version of the historical grand narrative and the resulting culture wars produce much sound and fury. On the other hand, our students, often approaching history for the very first time, eagerly want a clear narration of our story so that they can have some common sense in facing the future that awaits them. "Enduring Western Civilization must become an essential supplement to every teacher who works with this dilemma. It contains original works of scholarship by authors who are distinguished for their creativity and rigor. It is a diamond that cannot be crushed in the vise I have mentioned; indeed, it can help us to pry it open."-Peter Linebaugh, University of Toledo
"This book exposes the cliches that have moved from imperialism to postcoloniality, from Eurocentrism to multiculturalism. It is a well-documented guide to new research agendas and to a pedogogy that is enlightened beyond mere polemic."-Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University

Author Bio

SILVIA FEDERICI is Associate Professor of Philosophy and International Studies at Hofstra University.