What is "The West?"
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Table of Contents
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"...If one approaches the issue of Western civilization from the perspective of culture, one can get a more coherent definition of Western civilization, including the historical roots of the West’s culture today. A shorthand, cultural answer to the question of – what is Western civilization – is that Western civilization is a civilization whose cultural roots primarily derive from the nations of Western Europe...."
Key Terms
- Western Civilization
- Social Darwinism (see transcript for this one)
- Edward Said - Orientalism
- Slavophiles
- Eastern Bloc
Guided Viewing Questions
- How did the concept of the "West" as a unique civilization develop in the 19th century?
- Why does it make more sense to consider "the West" as a culture, rather than a geographic location?
- What are the historic roots of western civilization (the video lists 3)? How did they shape the West?
- The video ends with caution against considering the global power of the West as something that is universally worthy of praise. Why?