The Genius of Western Civilization, Part 1: Liberty or Death

This 37-minute video is Part 1 of the New Culture Forum’s landmark six-part documentary series exploring the history, achievements and genius of Western civilisation. Inspired by legendary TV programs such as Civilisation, Kenneth Clark’s 1969 masterpiece, The West is a bold reminder of who we are — and why our culture is worth defending.

Episode 1: Liberty or Death: Whatever happened to Western self-confidence? In introducing this landmark series, NCF Senior Fellow Marc Sidwell investigates the mystery of how the West lost faith in itself after the end of the Cold War. We then turn to the even greater mystery – how did the West emerge from primitive poverty in the ruins of Rome to dominate the world? Debunking the myth that the West’s exceptional achievements are founded on plunder and exploitation, we explore its unconventional and decidedly uncivilized origins in the rivalrous and individualistic culture of the barbarians and the patchwork of powers that emerged after the fall of Rome’s empire in Western Europe. But the West’s “long road to civilization” would never have got started without a revolutionary faith from the East ….