The self-destruction of the West : critical cultural anthropology

The Self-Destruction of the West

The Self-Destruction of the West is a critique of Western civilization, from its beginnings in the Neolithic period some 5 000 to 8 000 years ago, to the present age of the Internet. Through globalization, which started when Alexander the Great exported Hellenism to the East, the West has imposed its materialistic lifestyle to the world, which is now threatened by two main dangers. These are the conscious killing of Nature by humans, the « ecocide », and the « egocide », the killing of human identities, which are turned by media and advertising into remote-controlled puppets for the benefit of the allmighty « holy Market ». Not only do these self-destructive ways threaten human life as we know it, they also jeopardize the whole of Nature, Life's manifestation.

The confrontation with the civilization of traditional Native North American Indians teaches us that it is not domination over Nature and Life, but cruel coexistence with all things that is the key to the best possible human existence.