[Scarabin]

As a westerner, I think we have a rich culture or heritage. I am not decrying other cultures but I am familiar with my own.

But what are the main components of our heritage? Literature, pastimes, history, material wealth, religion, education, politics, manners and customs.

I suppose they are all involved, but which are (most?) important?

[mike777]

 Scarabin, on 2014-March-09, 01:16, said:

As a westerner, I think we have a rich culture or heritage. I am not decrying other cultures but I am familiar with my own.

But what are the main components of our heritage? Literature, pastimes, history, material wealth, religion, education, politics, manners and customs.

I suppose they are all involved, but which are (most?) important?

Most important
Plato
Aristostle


They create a debate that does not end in 2014


A debate or philosophy that we discuss thousands of years later.

I challenge posters to show a debate that does not discuss their points?


I grant fully grant over the decades one side declares victory and then defeat

[Vampyr]

I had a culture taken. They said it was strep.

[hrothgar]

 mike777, on 2014-March-09, 01:32, said:

Most important
Plato
Aristostle


They create a debate that does not end in 2014


A debate or philosophy that we discuss thousands of years later.

I challenge posters to show a debate that does not discuss their points?


I grant fully grant over the decades one side declares victory and then defeat

It finally makes sense! Mike is a LaRouchie!
I mean, I knew he was a complete nutjob, but the particular genus and species had long eluded me.

Quote

"the entirety of the history of European culture from the third century A.D. has centered on an irreconcilable conflict between the republican heritage of Plato and the oligarchical heritage of Aristotle" (7)


"All modern study of the universe, including mathematical physics, has been divided into two irreconcilable fundamental views. The Aristotelean outlook and its degenerate offshoot, nominalism or empiricism, has defined the universe as axiomatically composed of (...) particles (...). Opposed to this has been the contrary axiomatic view emanating from neo-Platonism ..." (8)


"Through three millennia of recorded history to date, centered around the Mediterranean, the civilized world has been run by two, bitterly opposed elites, the one associated with the faction of Socrates and Plato, the other with the faction of Aristotle. During these thousands of years, until the developments of approximately 1784-1818 in Europe, both factions' inner elites maintained in some fashion an unbroken continuity of organization and knowledge through all of the political catastrophes which afflicted each of them in various times and locales." (1)

http://laroucheplane....PlatoAristotle

[hrothgar]

As a more direct response to your question:

While I agree that there is an exclusionary concept of Western culture, I don't think that it's defining characteristics remain constant over time.

At one point in time, I think that Western culture was defined by the Catholic Church.
Later, this was replaced by Enlightenment values.

At the moment, I think that its defined by a crass consumerism and Hollywood media.

[PassedOut]

 hrothgar, on 2014-March-09, 04:48, said:

It finally makes sense! Mike is a LaRouchie!
I mean, I knew he was a complete nutjob, but the particular genus and species had long eluded me.
http://laroucheplane....PlatoAristotle

That was helpful. I had wondered where the Plato/Aristotle talk was coming from. I did know where it could not be coming from...