07-15-2004, 09:03 AM
Post a review when you get a chance. Am reading Civilization and Its Enemies - The next stage in History. Good book - review in the link.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"The subject of this book," says Harris on the opening page, "is forgetfulness." Modern civilization has forgotten how it became civilized in the first place; it isn't knowledgeable of the long period of cultural evolution involved; and it doesn't remember the tremendous amount of labor, cultural and intellectual, that went into the development of civil society. Moreover, modern civilization has forgotten about a category called "the enemy." This concept of the enemy -- someone who is willing to die to kill another -- had been discarded from our moral and political discourse. And that fact, according to Harris, has left modern civilization vulnerable to attack by those who are the enemy of civilized society.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's primiarly a US-centric book. What he says applies to India too as the challeges faced are same.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"The subject of this book," says Harris on the opening page, "is forgetfulness." Modern civilization has forgotten how it became civilized in the first place; it isn't knowledgeable of the long period of cultural evolution involved; and it doesn't remember the tremendous amount of labor, cultural and intellectual, that went into the development of civil society. Moreover, modern civilization has forgotten about a category called "the enemy." This concept of the enemy -- someone who is willing to die to kill another -- had been discarded from our moral and political discourse. And that fact, according to Harris, has left modern civilization vulnerable to attack by those who are the enemy of civilized society.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's primiarly a US-centric book. What he says applies to India too as the challeges faced are same.