It is no longer news that the history of the European past and its role in shaping American cultural life is under severe attack. In virtually every university that offers a liberal arts curriculum, in every arts institution that deals with European classics, in the offices of every publication that engages in intellectual pursuits, the discussion of the past has become the principal battleground for mapping out the future of our culture. In this provocative and insightful collection of essays first published in The New Criterion, ten distinguished critics reflect on the fate of Europe's cultural and political legacy as we approach the turn of the century. On subjects ranging from the collapse of communism and its implications for European society, to the study of the classics, to the prospects for serious music and art, these essays offer analyses marked by wit, independence, and commanding intelligence. The contributors include David Pryce-Jones, Anne Applebaum, Roger Scruton, John Gross, Ferdinand Mount, John Herington, Keith Windschuttle, Mark Steyn, Hilton Kramer, and Roger Kimball. The Future of the European Past is a major contribution to the debate over some of the most pressing cultural issues of our time.
As we approach the year 2000 and a new millennium, the authority of our cultural institutions seems to be slipping away. The dazzling accomplishments of Western science and modern capitalism have made us vastly richer and technologically more competent than any society in history, while liberal democracy has secured us an unparalleled degree of personal and political liberty. Yet the moral and cultural achievements of the European civilization--the very achievements that underwrite our prosperity and give meaning and purpose to our liberty--are everywhere under attack.
In virtually every university that offers a liberal arts curriculum, in every arts institution that deals with European classics, in the offices of every publication that engages in intellectual pursuits, the discussion of the past has become the principal conflict in deciding the future of our culture.
In The Future of the European Past, ten distinguished critics reflect upon the breakdown of culture and the fate of Europe's legacy. In their provocative and insightful essays, first published in the New Criterion, they assess the decline of historical memory; the resurgence of elites associated with Europe's totalitarian past; the subversions of the new historical method; the disregard for musical tonality; the retreat of British tradition in the face of pop culture; the postmodern assault on art criticism and art history; the pervasiveness of deconstruction and structuralism in academic inquiry; the future of classical studies; and other aspects of the battle that is now under way for the future of American cultural life.
Marked by wit, independence, and commanding intelligence, these appraisals comprise a major interpretation of this crucial debate. The contributors include David Pryce-Jones, Anne Applebaum, Roger Scruton, John Gross, Ferdinand Mount, John Herington, Keith Windschuttle, Mark Steyn, Hilton Kramer, and Roger Kimball.
