The Right Side of History : How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great

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Human beings in the West have never had it better, yet we stand on the brink of losing it all. In 2016, Ben Shapiro spoke at UC-Berkeley, requiring hundreds of police officers for protection. What was the threat? Shapiro argued that Western civilization faces a crisis of purpose and ideas, where grievances overshadow community and political expediency limits individual rights. He contends that we are teaching our children to prioritize emotions over rational debate, leading to a belief that meaning is arbitrary and subjective. Our society is forgetting that significant achievements in history arose from a belief in Judeo-Christian values and the Greek power of reason. In a sweeping exploration of over 3,500 years of thought and modern politics, Shapiro illustrates how our freedoms stem from the belief that every human is made in God's image and possesses the capacity for reason. These values have birthed science, human rights, and artistic beauty, shaping America and combating tyranny. Yet, we risk abandoning these foundations, succumbing to tribalism, hedonism, and moral subjectivism. We mistakenly believe that intersectionality, scientific materialism, and progressive politics can fulfill us. Shapiro emphasizes that the West is unique, urging a return to the moral purpose that inspires us to strive for the greater good together.