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Reclaiming Civilization: A Case for Optimism for the Future of Humanity Kindle Edition

by Brendan Myers (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

5.0 2 ratings

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What is civilization, and is it a good thing? It’s a name for the most glorious of humanity’s monuments and cultural achievements; yet it also speaks of the conquests, oppressions, and empires which make their glory possible. This book explains the essence of civilization, then asks what’s wrong with it, and considers what can be done about it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Brendan Myers is that rarest of creatures, a philosopher who writes in a style that is eminently readable, refreshingly jargon-free, not remotely patronising and, what's more, genuinely engaging. Rather than a dry, academic text, reading this gives one the feeling of sitting with the author in a warm room, probably with a glass of wine or a decent pint of real ale, and listening to him expound his ideas with pleasure and enthusiasm. In this case, those ideas are all about civilisation, asking what it is, if it is a good thing, and how we can make it better. Given the daily dose of depression drip-fed to us on every news bulletin, these are perhaps the most pressing questions of our age. In seeking to answer them, Myers demonstrates a remarkable breadth of knowledge of prehistory, history, politics and philosophy, from the earliest stirrings of humanity to the present day. That he can analyse with such clarity the seemingly chaotic mess we as a species have got ourselves into is remarkable in itself. Even moreso is that he is able to untangle the chaos sufficiently to draw from it causes for optimism and a plan for the future that might just see us thrive rather than merely survive. Anyone running for political office should not be allowed to do so until they have read this book. If this were done, the world would undoubtedly be a better, safer, saner place. -- Philip Shallcrass, Founder and Chief of the British Druid Order

This is a very interesting discussion of one of the central issues of the current world, and indeed of all history, which puts under scrutiny a number of common assumptions which are seldom examined. -- Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, Bristol University

About the Author

Brendan Cathbad Myers is the author of sixteen books in philosophy, environmental ethics, history of ideas, spirituality, urban fantasy fiction, and game design. Brendan is professor of philosophy at CEGEP Heritage College, Gatineau. He lives in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B074CNFZ99
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Moon Books (August 25, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2971 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,946,765 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #965 in Humanism Philosophy
- #2,069 in Ancient Early Civilization History
- #3,199 in Humanist Philosophy

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5.0 2 ratings

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Claudette Frizzell

I can think of no better heading than "A Case for Optimism".

Reviewed in Canada on July 13, 2018

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What is civilization? What is its essence? Is it the nature of civilization to decay and ultimately disintegrate? History would seem to suggest that it is. Is Western civilization in such a state of decline? Whatever one’s political or ideological orientation, arguments can probably be made that it is. And if so, can its fall be arrested? And perhaps more importantly, should it be? Is Western civilization worth saving? Or should we let it burn in the hope that something better will rise from its ashes?
That last question is mine, not Brendan Myers’. The author states in the preface that he wrote this book because he was angry. I am also angry. Angry enough to let it burn. Or at least I was. It will perhaps not be giving too much away to say that Myers’ answer is that Western civilization can and should be saved. And so, the next logical question is, how?
The saving of Western civilization is a bit of a hot topic right now, and a popular school of thought seems to advocate something akin to a system restore. We must return to traditional values, and reassert the “natural order” of things. But unlike those pundits who insist that the only way forward is backward, Dr. Myers is of the view that the way forward is in fact forward.
His optimism sometimes strikes me as naïve. But on reflection, I find that there are often equal grounds for optimism and despair, a fact of which Myers is clearly cognizant. Choosing optimism, then, becomes an act of affirmation, even, perhaps, defiance. And defiance is something I can get behind. If you, like me, are teetering on the edge of despair over what the world is becoming, Reclaiming Civilization may be the book that will tip you toward optimism.

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