The West: A New History of an Old Idea
The concept of “the West” is present in every daily interaction you have, from entertainment and politics to world markets and world history but the modern idea of the West was invented. “Western Civilization”, the concept of a single cultural inheritance extending from ancient Greece to modern times, is a powerful figment of our collective imagination. Let’s explode some of the myths that underpin the history we thought we knew – from the character of the ancient world, to the nature of the Crusades, and the ‘superiority’ of European powers in imperial contests. We’ve misunderstood the idea of “the West” for too long.
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