A Study of History had recently beennpublished,nhas reached the stage in itsndevelopment that calls fornthe creation of its UniversalnEmpire. The technological andninstitutional character ofnWestern civilization is such thatna Universal Empire of WesternnCivilization would necessarily bena World Empire. In the woridnthere are only two powerncenters adequate to make anserious attempt to meet thisnchallenge. The simultaneousnexistence of these two centers,nand only these two, introducesninto world political relationshipsnan intolerable disequilibrium.n. . . This issue will be decided,nand in our day. In the course ofnthe decision, both of the presentnantagonists may, it is true, bendestroyed. But one of themnmust be.nBurnham’s prophecy has proved essentiallyncorrect, but it needs to be qualifiednby consideration of certain changes innthe character of “Western civilization.”nAll civilizations of the past have beenndevelopments from a territorial base,nidentified with a particular city-state,nethnic group, culture, or nation, and thenempires these civilizations havenspawned have been merely those territorialnbases writ large. The Athenian,nPersian, Macedonian, Roman, and BritishnEmpires were simply the extensionsnof the power of Athens, Persia, Macedonia,nRome, and Great Britain tonother territories.nBut in the case of “Western civilization,”nas the phrase is invoked today,nthere is no unified territorial base. “ThenWest,” of course, means Western Europenand America, but those geographicalnexpressions do not and never havenreferred to particular states. Not sincenthe late Middle Ages has any singlenpolitical entity claimed to represent ornlead the “West,” and even the HolynRoman Empire’s pretensions were nevernaccepted by lesser potentates in Europe,nlet alone outside it. As Voltairenremarked in a famous phrase, it wasnneither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire.nBut, more significantly, what today isncalled the “West” has no specific relationshipnto Europe and America andnthe cultures they have bred, and “Westernncivilization” today is not carried bynEuropeans and Americans alone. Todaynthe “West” means a set of ideas, skills,nand techniques — “democracy,” “science,”n”pluralism,” “capitalism,” “humannrights,” “technology” — that are sondefined as to be universal. Anyone — anKuwaiti with a computer or an M.B.A.nin Milwaukee—can carry these ideas innhis intellectual knapsack, and whithersoevernhe goeth, there also will go then”West.”n”Western civilization” today, in othernwords, is a “civilization” that has disengagednitself from the historical, cultural,nand political bodies of Western Europenand America, and this kind of disengagementnof a civilization from particular,nterritorially based cultural and politicalnunits appears to be unique in humannhistory. What it means is that then”West” no longer refers to such units,ntheir members, and their institutionsnbut to an elite—an elite that does notnregard itself as part of or loyal to anNEW FROM LIBERTY FUND, INC.nTHE STATE OF THE UNION:nEssays in Social CriticismnBy Albert Jay NocknEdited and with a Foreword bynCharles H. Hamiltonn”Albert Jay Nock was probably the most exquisitelyneducated and civilized American of his time, asnreaders of this book will come to realize; he has ancharming way of becoming an event in a person’s life.nHis writings unleash the instinct for the humane lifenand sow the seeds of self-education which, after all, isnthe only kind of education there is.”n—Edmund A. Opitz, Foundation for Economic Educationn370 pages. Foreword, selected bibliography,nacknowledgments, index.nHardcover $20.00 0-86597-092-0nPaperback $ 7.50 0-86597-093-9nLihevtyPress, 1990nHISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONnIn Two VolumesnBy David RamsaynEdited and annotated by Lester H. CohennDavid Ramsay’s premier work of American historiography is now availablenfor the first time in a well-edited reprint. Lester Cohen’s foreword is anninvaluable guide. —Arthur H. Shajfer, University of Missourin378 and 377 pages. Foreword, bibliography, editor’s note, preface tonthe 1st edition, index.nHardcover $45.00 the set 0-86597-078-5nPaperback $15.00 the set 0-86597-081-5nLihertyClassics, 1990nPlease send me:nQuantitynOrdered TitlenThe State ofnthe UnionnRamsay’snHistorynEditionnHardcovernPaperbacknHardcovernPaperbacknPricen$20.00n$ 7.50n$45.00n$15.00nSubtotalnIndiana residents add 5% sales taxnHandling (VISA, MasterCard only)nTotalnAmountnWe pay book rate postage on prepaid orders.nMasterCard and Visa accepted for a handling charge ofn$1.50 for the first book, plus $.50 for each additionalnbook. Please allow approximately 4 weeks for delivery.nnnn Enclosed is my check ornmoney order made payablento Liberty Fund, Inc.nD Please send me a copy ofnyour current catalogue.nNamenAddress _nCitynState/Zip .nMail to: LIBERTY FUND, INC.nDepartment GGl 09n7440 N. Shadeland Ave.nIndianapolis, IN 46250nJUNE 1991/9n