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The Right Side of History
The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great | Ben Shapiro
11 posts | 6 read | 1 reading | 3 to read
America has a God-shaped hole in its heart, argues New York Times bestselling author Ben Shapiro, and we shouldn't fill it with politics and hate. In 2016, Ben Shapiro spoke at UC Berkeley. Hundreds of police officers were required from 10 UC campuses across the state to protect his speech, which was -- ironically -- about the necessity for free speech and rational debate. He came to argue that Western Civilization is in the midst of a crisis of purpose and ideas. Our freedoms are built upon the twin notions that every human being is made in Gods image and that human beings were created with reason capable of exploring Gods world. We can thank these values for the birth of science, the dream of progress, human rights, prosperity, peace, and artistic beauty. Jerusalem and Athens built America, ended slavery, defeated the Nazis and the Communists, lifted billions from poverty and gave billions spiritual purpose. Jerusalem and Athens were the foundations of the Magna Carta and the Treaty of Westphalia; they were the foundations of Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, and Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Civilizations that rejected Jerusalem and Athens have collapsed into dust. The USSR rejected Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, substituting a new utopian vision of social justice and they starved and slaughtered tens of millions of human beings. The Nazis rejected Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, and they shoved children into gas chambers. Venezuela rejects Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, and citizens of their oil-rich nation have been reduced to eating dogs. We are in the process of abandoning Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, favoring instead moral subjectivism and the rule of passion. And we are watching our civilization collapse into age-old tribalism, individualistic hedonism, and moral subjectivism. We believe we can reject Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law and satisfy ourselves with intersectionality, or scientific materialism, or progressive politics, or authoritarian governance, or nationalistic solidarity. We cant. The West is special, and in The Right Side of History, Ben Shapiro bravely explains that its because too many of us have lost sight of the moral purpose that drives us each to be better, or the sacred duty to work together for the greater good, or both. A stark warning, and a call to spiritual arms, this book may be the first step in getting our civilization back on track.
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Jackal121
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I just couldn't do the Acotar series. I have my reasons I guess. Moving on.

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Books_n_Whatnot
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Pickpick

Read this one much faster than I normally would have because it was due back at the library soon. His discussion on ancient philosophy was DENSE for me, but it flowed nicely once I was familiar with the names/events being referenced. Supported his main argument well and, as always, very thoroughly cited. Would and have recommended.

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Books_n_Whatnot

“Religion, Greek teleology, and capitalism all have something in common: none of them particularly care much about ‘your bliss.‘”

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Books_n_Whatnot
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“Jerusalem and Athens built science. The twin ideals of Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law reasoning built human rights. They built prosperity, peace, and artistic beauty. Jerusalem and Athens built America, ended slavery, defeated the Nazis and the Communists, lifted billions from poverty, and gave billions spiritual purpose.”

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Books_n_Whatnot

“... as though all happiness can be got from a 98.6 degree temperature, a hearty meal, and a steady supply of sex. But that‘s not what happiness actually constitutes. Human beings keep showing that they need something more - men cannot live by quality of life indicators alone. Material human progress in the absence of spiritual fulfillment isn‘t enough. People need meaning.”

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Books_n_Whatnot
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Well,,, finding out that Teddy Roosevelt was into eugenics ruined my day

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Books_n_Whatnot
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sinister

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Books_n_Whatnot

“The French Revolution‘s murder of the Judeo-Christian God, meant substituting a supposedly more realistic materialism for transcendental values. The Bible contended that man could not live by bread alone; the French Revolution contended that without bread, nothing else mattered.”

Author used this line to summarize a point he made for a few pages and it really cleared things up for me.

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ClairesReads
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Panpan

DNF- not for me. Too didactic, oddly unreasoned for a book about reason. Fundamentally not aligned with my worldview. This is a lesson in always reading the blurb before you borrow a book!

Redwritinghood Live and learn! 5y
AceOnRoam Is this your first dnf? I'm glad you didn't persist. I read the blurb so its a dns (did not start) for me 😄 5y
ClairesReads @AceOnRoam not quite but it‘s very rare for me! No regrets though 5y
25 likes4 comments
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ClairesReads
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Back on the audios

emz711 I'm in the queue! 5y
20 likes1 comment
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ClairesReads
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Apt, and relevant.

jewright I hate essential oils. They bug my allergies and stink in my opinion. I can tell immediately that someone is diffusing them when I walk into a room. 5y
26 likes1 comment