Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft 126d ago

During and after the Cold War, the term “The West” was used as a term to describe a set of countries, political systems, ideas and values that were assumed to be fixed, permanent and even in a sense eternal. Today, an increasing number of commentators are proclaiming that “the West is dead”. It is therefore a good time to write a candid biography of its life. Georgios Varouxakis has done this in his highly-praised and award-winning new book, The West: The History of an Idea. Varouxakis traces the birth of “The West” as an idea not to classical antiquity or medieval Christendom but to the mid-19th century. He describes the remarkable permutations that it has experienced since, as a term of identity and propaganda in both international and domestic politics. The cast of countries assumed to be members of “The West” has changed repeatedly over time. Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute, spoke with the author.