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"Civilization, Western History."
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The West : the history of an idea
How did 'the West' come to be used as a collective self-designation signaling political and cultural commonality? When did 'Westerners' begin to refer to themselves in this way? Was the idea handed down from the ancient Greeks, or coined by nineteenth-century imperialists? Neither, writes Georgios Varouxakis in The West, his ambitious and fascinating genealogy of the idea. 'The West' was not used by Plato, Cicero, Locke, Mill, or other canonized figures of what we today call the Western tradition. It was not first wielded by empire-builders. It gradually emerged as of the 1820s and was then, Varouxakis shows, decisively promoted in the 1840s by the French philosopher Auguste Comte (whose political project, incidentally, was passionately anti-imperialist).
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The Eastern Origins of Western Civilisation
John Hobson challenges the ethnocentric bias of mainstream accounts of the Rise of the West. It is often assumed that since Ancient Greek times Europeans have pioneered their own development, and that the East has been a passive by-stander in the story of progressive world history. Hobson argues that there were two processes that enabled the Rise of the 'Oriental West'. First, each major developmental turning point in Europe was informed in large part by the assimilation of Eastern inventions (e.g. ideas, technologies and institutions) which diffused from the more advanced East across the Eastern-led global economy between 500–1800. Second, the construction of European identity after 1453 led to imperialism, through which Europeans appropriated many Eastern resources (land, labour and markets). Hobson's book thus propels the hitherto marginalised Eastern peoples to the forefront of the story of progress in world history.
eBook
The Power of Knowledge
Information is power. For more than five hundred years the success or failure of nations has been determined by a country's ability to acquire knowledge and technical skill and transform them into strength and prosperity. Leading historian Jeremy Black approaches global history from a distinctive perspective, focusing on the relationship between information and society and demonstrating how the understanding and use of information have been the primary factors in the development and character of the modern age.
Black suggests that the West's ascension was a direct result of its institutions and social practices for acquiring, employing, and retaining information and the technology that was ultimately produced. His cogent and well-reasoned analysis looks at cartography and the hardware of communication, armaments and sea power, mercantilism and imperialism, science and astronomy, as well as bureaucracy and the management of information, linking the history of technology with the history of global power while providing important indicators for the future of our world.
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The ascent of the West : from prehistory through the Renaissance /
This volume provides an overarching view of the early social and intellectual transformations that brought European civilization from its birth in antiquity to its rebirth during the Renaissance. --from publisher description
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Thresholds of Western Culture
Thresholds of Western Culture explores identity, postcoloniality and transnationalism–three closely related issues which redefine contemporary cultural identity. The book opens with an analysis of subjectivity and the cultural meltdown that accompanied fascism in the West. The situation in Africa is then explored which, while recalling modernity’s dark side, highlights the intricacy of postcolonial identity. Post-Soviet Eastern Europe presents a separate case of neglected postcoloniality which emphasizes how ethnocentrism and cultural tensions have exposed the fragility of transnationalism. The book concludes with an examination of East Asia, a region which offers transnational options potentially much more fruitful than Balkanization.
eBook
Europa : how Europe shaped the modern world
European history is deeply embedded in the global civilization that has emerged in the 21st century. More than two thirds of today's nations were once European colonies or protectorates. Europe's legacy is evident in the trajectory of the United States and has influenced aspiring hegemonic powers like China. For centuries, Europe was the heart and soul of the West, and European powers enjoyed unprecedented global hegemony, not only by military and economic means, but also through their influence on politics and culture.
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The Educated Mind
The Educated Mind offers a bold and revitalizing new vision for today's uncertain educational system. Kieran Egan reconceives education, taking into account how we learn. He proposes the use of particular \"intellectual tools\"—such as language or literacy—that shape how we make sense of the world. These mediating tools generate successive kinds of understanding: somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophical, and ironic. Egan's account concludes with practical proposals for how teaching and curriculum can be changed to reflect the way children learn.
\"A carefully argued and readable book. . . . Egan proposes a radical change of approach for the whole process of education. . . . There is much in this book to interest and excite those who discuss, research or deliver education.\"—Ann Fullick, New Scientist
\"A compelling vision for today's uncertain educational system.\"—Library Journal
\"Almost anyone involved at any level or in any part of the education system will find this a fascinating book to read.\"—Dr. Richard Fox, British Journal of Educational Psychology
\"A fascinating and provocative study of cultural and linguistic history, and of how various kinds of understanding that can be distinguished in that history are recapitulated in the developing minds of children.\"—Jonty Driver, New York Times Book Review
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The West : a new history in fourteen lives
\"A captivating exploration of how \"Western Civilization\"-the concept of a single cultural inheritance extending from ancient Greece to modern times-is a powerful figment of our collective imagination\"-- Provided by publisher.
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The family in the Western world from the Black Death to the industrial age
Gottlieb has done readers a great service by synthesizing, in this highly readable book, the growing scholarly literature on the history of the family. The book covers Europe and Colonial America from the onset of the Black Death to the beginning of the Industrial Age, shedding light on the similarities and differences between families of the past and those of today. Family history is still in its infancy, but scholars are coming to agree that the family is a cultural creation. Although we take its forms and practices for granted, nothing in nature makes them inevitable. In this fascinating and growing field, Gottlieb’s book will ba a landmark work of scholarly synthesis which communicates to the general reader.
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