by Ben Shapiro
First published 2019
Western civilization stands at a crossroads, losing sight of the fundamental principles that built our freedoms. Ben Shapiro presents his case that our liberties rest on two core beliefs: every person bears God's image, and humans possess reason to explore God's creation. When Shapiro spoke at UC Berkeley in 2016 about free speech and rational debate, hundreds of police officers from ten UC campuses were needed for protection. This irony illustrates his central argument that we have abandoned the moral purpose that drives individual improvement and the sacred obligation to collaborate for collective benefit. Shapiro contends that Western society's special character stems from these twin foundations. He warns that our civilization has lost its way by forgetting these guiding principles. The book serves as both an urgent alert about our current trajectory and a rallying cry for spiritual renewal, potentially offering the first step toward restoring our civilization's proper course.
Genres: history, american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: rallying-cry
Setting: UC Berkeley
Period: 2016
288 pages · Hardcover · Broadside Books