The Odyssey of Western Civilization: Episode 8

Episode 8: A Century of the Modern and Postmodern West
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

Ever since the days of classical Greece, Western civilization rested upon a bedrock of idealism and civic virtue. Then, amid the confusion and disconnection created by the Industrial Revolution, the West began to turn away from its traditional emphasis on religion, patriotism and family values. Nowadays we all wallow the nihilistic chaos of the postmodern world, where irony and cynicism are the dominant modes. But we long for a rebirth of the values and traditions that sustained Western civilization for 2,500 years – and one day may do so again. 8/8