The Real Heroes of Western Civ
I was too sick yesterday to invoke my annual curse on Columbus. But in my fever, I still wondered: How did this awful conqueror and slaver ever become an icon of “Western civilization“? Every society has such men to offer. You’d think that defenders of Western civ would point to uniquely Western heroes – the kind of notables that other civilizations conspicuously underproduced: defenders of human rights, questioners of authority, scientists, and the like.
Question: If we were going to have a holiday for the greatest beacon of Western civ, who’d be in the running – and who’d deserve an annual day of remembrance?
P.S. I suggest 50% weight for accomplishment, and 50% weight for clean hands.
The post appeared first on Econlib.
Adam Smith
I'm a little surprised by this Howard Zinn-like take. Do you also think Washington and Jefferson should not be honored, because they were slavers?
Both the accomplishments and the negatives have to be put in historical context. Unfortunately, abolitionism wasn't really a thing in the 15th century.
As Bill Maher put it, you're not better than George Washington because you have gay friends and he didn't. If he lived today, he'd have gay friends.