The war against the past : why the West must fight for its history /
A war is being waged against the past. Whether it's toppling statues, decolonizing the curriculum or erasing terms from our vocabulary, a cultural crusade is underway designed to render the past toxic. It is condemned as enemy territory and has become the target of venomous hate. What is at sta...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge, UK ; Medford, Massachusetts :
Polity Press,
2024.
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| Summary: | A war is being waged against the past. Whether it's toppling statues, decolonizing the curriculum or erasing terms from our vocabulary, a cultural crusade is underway designed to render the past toxic. It is condemned as enemy territory and has become the target of venomous hate. What is at stake in provoking such a strong sense of societal shame towards Western history? In this book, Frank Furedi mounts a fierce defense of the past and calls for a fight back against the delegitimization of its ideals and accomplishments. Casting the past as a story of shame has become a taken-for-granted outlook permeating the educational and cultural life of Western society from the top down. Its advocates may see it as a cultural imperative, but a society that loses touch with its past will face a permanent crisis of identity. Squandering wisdom provided by our historical inheritance means betraying humanity's positive achievements. Challenging this great betrayal, Furedi argues, is one of the most important battles of our time. |
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| Physical Description: | vii, 260 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781509561254 1509561250 |