What Exactly Is Western Civilisation?
b"We tend to imagine Western Civilisation as a golden thread connecting ancient Greece to modern Europe, from Plato to NATO. But what if the idea itself is deeply flawed? Historian and archaeologist Nao\\xedse Mac Sweeney's recent book, The West: A New History of an Old Idea, argues that our understanding of the West is deeply misleading and obscures the rich diversity of our past. Drawing on the lives of characters throughout history \\u2013 including a formidable Roman matriarch and an unconventional Islamic scholar \\u2013 Mac Sweeney says that the dominant narrative of Western history is an invention which has been used to justify imperialism and racism, and is no longer ideologically fit for purpose today. Discussing the book with Mac Sweeney is fellow author and columnist at The Times, Edward Lucas.\\nWe\\u2019d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.\\xa0\\nAt Intelligence Squared we\\u2019ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we\\u2019d love you to give it a go. It\\u2019s packed with more than 20 years\\u2019 worth of video debates and conversations on the world\\u2019s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"