Civilization
by Niall Ferguson · first published 2011
50% recommend50% neutral
What was it about the civilization of Western Europe that allowed it to trump the outwardly superior empires of the Orient? The answer, Niall Ferguson argues, was that the West developed six "killer applications"?that the Rest lacked: competition, science, democracy, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic. The key question today is whether or not the West has lost its monopoly on these six things. If so, Ferguson warns, we may be living through the end of Western ascendancy.
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…to the modern world, in countless different ways. I wish I knew more about the history of mathematics to counter you more forcefully. I would also urge you to read this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Civilization-Killer-Apps-Western-Pow... It shows how that in the 15th century, Europe was a shithole backwater, plagued by diseases and wars, and other civilisations like the Chinese and Arabic ones were far more…
on “Shut up and play nice: How the Western world is limiting free speech” ↗…other differences. So although the potential for similar outcomes was there at the start when the Americas was being founded, they set off on wildly different trajectories. Edit: I'd recommend reading Civilization by Niall Ferguson.
…West Rules for Now, but just looking at its wiki page, it looks to be a complete rehash of Guns, Germs and Steel? The title made me think of The West and the Rest, excellent book: https://www.amazon.ca/Civilization-West-Rest-Niall-Ferguson/...
on “Summer Reading List” ↗I'm trying to think now what would be the opposite of this? Books that are completely counter-intuitive, that forces you to rethink your original Weltanschaunng in the first place - Niall Ferguson's "Civilization: The West and the Rest" and Nassim Taleb's "AntiFragile: Things that Gain from Disorder" comes to mind. Even rereading Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" can give you this counter-intuitive insight.
on “Should we stop believing Malcolm Gladwell?” ↗…enlightenment friends realized this, and anyone who's tried to do this has failed miserably and bloodily. 1: http://www.ted.com/talks/niall_ferguson_the_6_killer_apps_of... 2: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Civilization-Ways-West-Beat-Rest/dp/...
on “How automatic transmission almost made sperm whales extinct” ↗Recently finished “Civilization: The West and the Rest” by Niall Ferguson. Ferguson argues that competition, science, the rule of law, modern medicine, consumerism, and western-Protestant work ethic allowed the West to make “advancements”…
on “‘Content network effect’ makes TikTok tough to copy” ↗…was indeed able to travel, trade, and exploit foreign nations at limited distance, but never on a scale as the Europeans from the 16th century onward. This is also documented: https://www.amazon.com/Civilization-West-Rest-Niall-Ferguson....
on “China Is Quietly Reshaping the World” ↗…"passionarnost" (derived from passion) to describe the cultural energy that drives these transformations. After reading other contemporary books on the matter, such as Guns, Germs and Steel, and Neil Ferguson's Civilization, as well as dozens of articles and blog posts discussing these things, I think that his analysis and thoughts are one of the most interesting and engaging ideas about it.
on “The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success” ↗