The BLOG: Voices

The fight for Western civilization plays out at Stanford

Matthew Goldberg | April 15, 2016

Apparently, Western civilization has been a touchy subject at Stanford University. Unbeknownst to many, the school removed Western civilization as part of the core curriculum in 1988, amid fallout from Jesse Jackson-led protests. Fortunately, a group of courageous students lobbied to have these courses reinstated. However, this past Monday their proposal was defeated in a landslide election.

The efforts of these students should be commended. They stood up to strident leftists operating under a veil of “social-enlightenment and awareness,” a façade readily embraced and supported by today’s colleges.

How is it even possible a university as highly regarded as Stanford has operated without a Western civilization requirement for this long? In case anyone was not readily aware: Stanford is in California; California is in the United States, and the United States is a crowning achievement of, you guessed it, Western civilization. And Western civilization has had a resonate influence on the world.

Those opposed to the curriculum view the “dark side” of Western civilization’s history as reason to deprive students from studying it. This notion is unfounded, hypocritical, and mildly racist. Unfounded, because no history is so black and white, all history is gray.

Was there slavery and colonization in the history of Western civilization? Yes but…

Wasn’t Western civilization home to abolitionist and civil rights efforts? Yes.

Weren’t philosophies born in Western civilization the basis for decolonization and democratic movements throughout the world? Yes.

Hasn’t Western civilization helped establish the freest, most diverse, and most affluent societies in history? Yes.

Wasn’t the United States, largely inspired by Western philosophical movements, the first nation to recognize the inalienable rights of common people, and form a government of limited power? I believe so.

Aren’t those students against Western civilization courses still in favor of ethnic studies classes, even though many of these “forgotten histories” committed the same atrocities as Western civilization? Most likely.

I am assuming the anti-Western civilization crowd would be in favor of a Mexican history curriculum, a fascinating subject which I had the privilege of studying. If you are against teaching Western civilization on the basis of historical mistreatment, but in favor of Mexican history courses, you are either unaware of what pre-Columbian Mexico was like or a hypocrite.

Imperialism and slavery were going on in the Americas long before the Europeans arrived. The Spanish were only able to overthrow the Aztecs with the help of native tribes being cruelly subjugated by the dominant Aztecs. Additionally, the reason the Aztecs initially welcomed Cortes and the Spanish was because they thought they could use the Spanish to further solidify their empire.

Another example of pre-Columbian conquest would be the Olmecs. The Olmecs were the first empire in Central America. They were able to conquer neighboring tribes because they had a tactical advantage. The Olmecs invented the tortilla, which was revolutionary in that it was nutritious and portable over long distances. This enabled them to keep soldiers fed while making long marches through the rainforest. They used their technological advantage for conquest, just like the Spanish conquered with their own superior technology.

The fact that conquest and slavery have a long pre-colonial history is not meant to forgive the actions of European colonizers, but it should serve to show that our collective histories are fairly similar and that all people will abuse power when they have too much of it. To me, this is both a unifying and sobering takeaway which can serve as a valuable lesson for society.

The historical patterns of cultures separated by time and geography suggest a common thread throughout humanity. Just because the Europeans happened to be the best at colonization does not mean students should feel guilty about studying Western civilization. Who is to say that had the Aztecs invented guns and ships first, they wouldn’t have colonized the Europeans, and that we wouldn’t be speaking Nahuatl right now?

Finally, the stance of those opposed to Western civilization is mildly racist for two reasons: They assume historically oppressed peoples aren’t capable of compartmentalizing the nuances of Western history and therefore require protection; and they ignore the fact that these groups have played an integral part in the advancement of Western civilization.

Black history is American history. The black struggle for rights and liberty mirrors the ideals for which the Founding Fathers strived. Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. are two of the greatest Americans who ever lived. Both had a deep appreciation for the American values of freedom, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. They recognized the way to end slavery and systemic racism was by utilizing the very words in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, so they would truly apply to all.

The civic disengagement of young people today suggests that Western civilization should play more of a role in their education. Voter turnout and political participation would be higher if people were more informed of the origins and fragility of democracy.

They say history is written by the winners. Let’s not forsake it to those acting like losers.