‘What is civilisation? I don’t know. I can’t define it in abstract terms yet, but I think I can recognise it when I see it.’– Kenneth Clark, ‘Civilisation’, episode 1, 1969.
Rather than a lazy attempt to avoid defining the very subject of his ground-breaking 1969 documentary, the quote from Lord Clark demonstrates not only the difficulty in defining Western civilisation, but the very concept of ‘civilisation’ itself.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Easter flash sale:
10 issues for $1
Subscribe this Easter and get the next 10 issues of the magazine, plus website and app access, all for just $1.
- Weekly delivery of the magazine
- Unlimited access to spectator.com.au and app
- Spectator Australia podcasts and newsletters
- Full access to spectator.co.uk
Or
Unlock 3 articles a month
You might disagree with half of it, but you’ll enjoy reading all of it. Try your first month for free, then just $2 a week for the remainder of your first year.
Comments
Easter flash sale: 10 issues for $1
Join the conversation with other Spectator Australia readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
CLAIM OFFER 10 issues for $1Already a subscriber? Log in