Greatness and Ruin: Self-Reflection and Universalism within European Civilization

European Uniqueness and Its Undoing

Ricardo Duchesne's Greatness and Ruin extends the argument he began in The Uniqueness of Western Civilization (2011). Duchesne, a historical sociologist who taught at the University of New Brunswick until his forced retirement, contends that Western civilization was distinctive among world cultures in its capacity for self-reflection, individual achievement, and restless intellectual inquiry. The first half of the book builds this case through comparative history, drawing on evidence from ancient Greece through the Scientific Revolution.

The Universalism Problem

The second half turns to what Duchesne sees as the West's fatal flaw: its tendency to universalize its own values. The West's commitment to reason, equality, and individual rights, originally products of a specific cultural tradition, became abstract principles that anyone could claim. Duchesne argues that this universalism was ultimately turned against the civilization that produced it, hollowing out the particular identities and loyalties that had sustained European societies for centuries. The writing is dense, footnoted, and academic in structure, but Duchesne writes clearly enough for a non-specialist audience. Published by Antelope Hill.

About This Edition

Author: Ricardo Duchesne
Publisher: Antelope Hill Publishing
Format: Paperback