Civilization：The West and the Rest

Westerncivilization’srisetoglobaldominanceisthesinglemostimportanthistoricalphenomenonofthepastfivecenturies.Allovertheworld,moreandmorepeoplestudyatWestern-styleuniversities,workforWestern-stylecompanies,voteforWestern-stylegovernments,takeWesternmedicines,wearWesternclothes,andplayWesternsports.YetsixhundredyearsagothepettykingdomsofWesternEuropeseemedlikemiserablebackwaters,ravagedbyincessantwarandpestilence.ItwasMingChinaorOttomanTurkeythathadthelookofworldcivilizations.HowdidtheWestovertakeitsEasternrivals?AndhasthezenithofWesternpowernowpassed?InCivilization:TheWestandtheRest,acclaimedhistorianNiallFergusonarguesthat,beginninginthefifteenthcentury,theWestdevelopedsixpowerfulnewconceptsthattheRestlacked:competition,science,theruleoflaw,modernmedicine,consumerism,andtheworkethic.Thesewerethe‘killerapplications’thatallowedtheWesttoleapaheadoftheRest;openingglobaltraderoutes,exploitingnewscientificknowledge,evolvingrepresentativegovernment,morethandoublinglifeexpectancy,unleashingtheindustrialrevolution,andhugelyincreasinghumanproductivity.CivilizationshowsexactlyhowadozenWesternempirescametocontrolthree-fifthsofmankindandfour-fifthsoftheworldeconomy.Yetnow,Fergusonargues,thedaysofWesternpredominancearenumberedbecausetheResthavefinallydownloadedthesixkillerappstheWestoncemonopolized–whiletheWesthasliterallylostfaithinitself.Chroniclingtheriseandfallofempiresalongsidetheclashesofcivilizations,Civilizationrecastsworldhistorywithverveandwit.Boldlyarguedbutalsoteemingwithmemorablecharacters,thisisFergusonathisverybest.