Civilization The West And The Rest Essay - 2220 Words

Civilization: The West and the Rest, presented by Niall Ferguson, is a documentary in which Ferguson reveals what he calls the six killer applications which has helped Western civilization dominate over everyone else. These six applications are competition, science, property, medicine, consumerism, and work. Ferguson asks many questions over the course of the series as well as provides examples as to how Western civilization has surpassed other nations and empires. Ferguson’s main question in each episode is, â€Å"If we lose our monopoly over apps like these, could Western civilization be consigned to history.† This paper will analyze Ferguson’s questions and the examples he provides for the killer applications of competition, science, property, medicine, consumerism, and work, as well as his conclusions as to why the West has risen to the top, how the rest are passing up the West, as well as his conclusions to if the West can remain above the rest. The first episode and killer application Niall Ferguson discusses is Competition. This episode discusses that over 500 years ago, it was the China, who was considered the most advanced civilization in the world, while Europe was stranded in the Dark Ages. Ferguson asks, â€Å"Why was the East so far ahead?† China was already making huge strides in exploration as well as inventions, such as the printing press, suspension bridge, and the clock. So, how did it become that the West surpassed the East? Ferguson answers these questionsShow MoreRelatedThe Clash Of Civilisations By Samuel Huntington1110 Words   |  5 Pageswars will follow a similar pattern. He focuses especially on the impact of the ‘dominant civilization of the West against the world s contrasting civilizations. Huntington s primary focus of the West as a dominating force against the rest is one critique of his argument. In addition, Huntington s definition of a civilization is also very open-ended and takes an idealistic approach to what a civilization is. His single-minded hypothesis often ignores evidence of past conflicts and takes a veryRead MoreWestern Civilization Roger Scruton Summary1410 Words   |  6 Pagesand the rest of the West found their democracies and republics in conflict with the Islamic world and left unable to fully judge the context of the attacks. Roger Scruton offers a conceptual explanation and argument to answer the question â€Å"What is exactly Western civilization, and what holds it together?†. He uses his answer to help explain the cultural, political, and social struggle between the internal worlds of Western civilization and Islamic civilization. Scruton’s The West and the Rest: GlobalizationRead More Clash Of Civilizations Essay examples1587 Words   |  7 Pages The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. 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He attributes this world dominance to six â€Å"killer applications† the west had adopted and advanced beyond the means of any other civilizations. These applications were: competition, science, private property, medicine, consumption, and work. When explaining