The Right Side of History
By Ben Shapiro
- Release Date: 2019-03-19
- Genre: Social Science
Description
A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
Human beings have never had it better than we have it now in the West. So why are we on the verge of throwing it all away?
In 2016, New York Times bestselling author Ben Shapiro spoke at the University of California–Berkeley. Hundreds of police officers were required to protect his speech. What was so frightening about Shapiro? He came to argue that Western civilization is in the midst of a crisis of purpose and ideas; that we have let grievances replace our sense of community and political expediency limit our individual rights; that we are teaching our kids that their emotions matter more than rational debate; and that the only meaning in life is arbitrary and subjective.
As a society, we are forgetting that almost everything great that has ever happened in history happened because of people who believed in both Judeo-Christian values and in the Greek-born power of reason. In The Right Side of History, Shapiro sprints through more than 3,500 years, dozens of philosophers, and the thicket of modern politics to show how our freedoms are built upon the twin notions that every human being is made in God’s image and that human beings were created with reason capable of exploring God’s 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 more spiritual purpose.
Yet we are in the process of abandoning Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, watching our civilization collapse into age-old tribalism, individualistic hedonism, and moral subjectivism. We believe we can satisfy ourselves with intersectionality, scientific materialism, progressive politics, authoritarian governance, or nationalistic solidarity.
We can’t.
The West is special, and in The Right Side of History, Ben Shapiro bravely explains how we have lost sight of the moral purpose that drives each of us to be better, the sacred duty to work together for the greater good,.
Reviews
Lol to you
5By Konnor18That random number person keeps going to books and leaving bad reviews. I’ve seen them on at least two other books.Awesome Book
5By BirdoWorkyIf you want a deep dive into the inner workings of Ben’s mind, then this is the book for you. A ton of great points are made, and he really gets philosophical, which was cool. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind, and wants a deep understanding of a lot of what’s going on in this day and age.lol
1By 00111220011Ben Shapiro is inbred.absolutely not
1By cyndavlaaaanoLovely and Stunning
5By TigonieBen Shapiro shows us what the west has built using capitalism, reason and Judeo-Cristianity and how amazing it is, and juxtaposes it to societies that have failed because they rejected those principles. All of the people saying that he wrote this so religious people can feel good about themselves, I think that is rather missing the point. It is about the moral values and standards that Cristianity sets, and not necessarily about the religion itself. And that those principles WORK. It’s not a coincidence that the societies that based themselves on these Fundaments flourished and the ones that rejected it didn’t. I sincerely hope people will be able to look on this insightful and informed work with an objective eye and possibly have it opened. America is worth living and fighting for. The references were so good I ended up using it for my report comparing the American to the French Revolution-absolutely brilliant. Shapiro is one of the best minds we‘ve come across in this modern age and a powerful weapon. Absolutely recommend!Awesome book
5By Randell cobbAmazing Book that I will read againGreat Read!
5By geebeecbFascinating viewpoint on explaining the philosophies from Athens and Jerusalem that were the basis of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Also gives historical examples of societies that have rejected those ideals and how those societies have failed! Definitely recommend!Great book
5By matthw boovaI loved the book.Don’t pay attention to the bad reviews
5By Saso3200There’s a lot people hating on the book without reading it. Yes, the book is bias Shapiro makes that very clear. However, I think he tries to be fair about it. Great read easy to read and follow. If you’re a open minded liberal that would like to see the argument on the right give it a try I think it will help you understand conservatives more.Nonsense
1By The Real TIWThe books founding thesis is only half right, that being that the logic of Ancient Greece and the faith of Judeo-Christian values worked hand in hand to basically make the west as good as it is. Ancient Greece surely had a positive influence on western civilization, they were the fathers of democracy after all, but Judeo-Christian values are almost completely incompatible with both modern western civilization and even the values of Ancient Greece. One need simply take a cursory glance at history (or even the Bible) to know this is true. This book is simply propaganda to make the religious-right feel good.
