The Right Side of History

The Right Side of History Plot Summary

Introduction

Western civilization stands at a critical juncture. While material progress has reached unprecedented heights, there appears to be a growing crisis of meaning and purpose in modern society. Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide continue to rise despite increased prosperity and technological advancement. Political polarization has reached alarming levels, with society becoming increasingly fragmented along ideological lines. Trust in institutions has eroded, and social cohesion has weakened considerably. The crisis we face is fundamentally philosophical in nature. It stems from the gradual abandonment of the foundational ideas and values that built Western civilization—specifically, the synthesis of Judeo-Christian values and Greek rational thought. This synthesis provided both individual and communal purpose, as well as the capacity to pursue that purpose. By examining the historical development of these ideas and their modern abandonment, we can understand how Western civilization achieved such remarkable success and why it now faces such profound challenges. Through careful analysis of both ancient wisdom and modern philosophical trends, we can rediscover the principles necessary to restore meaning and purpose in our increasingly atomized society.

Chapter 1: The Foundations of Human Happiness: Four Essential Elements

Happiness has been a central concern of human thought throughout history. However, true happiness extends far beyond fleeting pleasures or emotional states. Authentic human happiness requires moral purpose—a sense that one's life is aligned with transcendent values and devoted to meaningful ends. As Aristotle observed, happiness (eudaimonia) is not a transient feeling but a state of flourishing achieved through virtuous activity aligned with our nature as rational beings. Similarly, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, joy (simcha) comes from fulfilling one's duties in accordance with divine will. This deeper conception of happiness depends on four essential elements. First, individuals need moral purpose—a sense that their lives matter beyond mere self-gratification. This purpose must transcend subjective desires and connect to objective standards of good and evil. Second, individuals require the capacity to pursue that purpose—the freedom, agency, and ability to act in accordance with their values. Third, communities need shared moral purposes that unite their members in common cause. And fourth, societies need the collective capacity to organize themselves in ways that enable the pursuit of these shared purposes. Modern society increasingly lacks these four elements. Many individuals drift without clear moral direction, seeing themselves as merely sophisticated animals driven by biological impulses rather than beings capable of transcendent purpose. Deterministic worldviews deny human agency, suggesting our choices are merely the product of genetics and environment. Communities have fractured along ideological lines, with fewer shared values to bind citizens together. And social institutions have weakened, leaving individuals isolated and disempowered despite theoretical freedoms. The decline of these four elements explains much of our current malaise. Material prosperity, while valuable, cannot compensate for the loss of purpose and meaning. Consumerism and hedonism provide temporary distractions but fail to satisfy deeper human needs. The highest suicide rates often occur in the most prosperous segments of society, suggesting that material comfort alone is insufficient for genuine well-being. As Viktor Frankl observed from his experiences in Nazi concentration camps, those who survived were not necessarily the physically strongest but those who maintained a sense of meaning and purpose even in the most horrific circumstances. To restore happiness, both individual and communal, we must rediscover the philosophical foundations that made Western civilization possible. These foundations emerged from the synthesis of two great traditions: Jerusalem (Judeo-Christian values) and Athens (Greek philosophical rationalism). Together, they provided the intellectual framework that supported both individual dignity and communal flourishing.

Chapter 2: Jerusalem's Legacy: Divine Purpose and Human Dignity

The Judeo-Christian worldview transformed human understanding in four revolutionary ways. First, it proclaimed a unified God rather than competing deities. Unlike polytheistic systems where gods fought amongst themselves in a chaotic universe, Judaism introduced the concept of a single, supreme Creator governing all reality according to consistent principles. This theological innovation had profound implications for human knowledge: if the universe operates according to stable laws established by a rational Creator, then these laws could be discovered through systematic investigation. The concept of natural law stems directly from this monotheistic foundation. Second, Judaism established a moral code based on divine commandment rather than mere social convention or pragmatic utility. The Ten Commandments and associated laws weren't presented as arbitrary rules but as reflections of the Creator's moral character. This grounded ethics in something beyond human opinion or cultural preference. Moral truth became objective rather than subjective—discoverable rather than invented. While specific applications might vary across circumstances, the underlying principles were understood to be universal and unchanging. Third, Judeo-Christian thought introduced a progressive view of history. Unlike cyclical conceptions of time common in ancient cultures, the Biblical narrative portrayed history as moving toward a meaningful conclusion. From creation through redemption and ultimate restoration, history had direction and purpose. Human actions mattered not just for immediate consequences but for their contribution to this larger story. Each person played a role in a cosmic drama that transcended individual lifespans. Fourth and perhaps most revolutionary, the Biblical tradition declared that every human being possessed inherent dignity as an image-bearer of God. Genesis 1:27—"God created man in His own image"—represents perhaps the most significant moral claim in human history. This concept demolished ancient hierarchies that treated most humans as inherently inferior beings. Kings and peasants alike shared the divine image, establishing a fundamental equality that would eventually give rise to concepts of universal human rights. These four innovations—monotheism, objective morality, progressive history, and universal human dignity—provided the essential foundation for both individual moral purpose and communal moral purpose. Individuals gained a framework for understanding their lives as meaningful parts of a larger story. Communities gained shared values that transcended tribal boundaries and enabled cooperation on an unprecedented scale. The Judeo-Christian worldview didn't merely offer abstract theological claims but practical principles that transformed how humans understood themselves and their place in the cosmos. However, while Jerusalem provided purpose, it needed Athens to fully develop human capacity for pursuing that purpose. Faith and revelation alone were insufficient; human reason needed cultivation to fulfill its potential. The philosophical tradition that emerged from ancient Greece would complement the Biblical vision, completing the foundation of Western civilization.

Chapter 3: Athens' Contribution: Reason, Science and Natural Law

While Jerusalem gave humanity a sense of divine purpose and moral framework, Athens provided the methodological tools to understand the natural world and human society through reason. Greek philosophy introduced three revolutionary concepts that transformed human thought. First was the idea that the universe operates according to rational principles accessible to human intelligence. Rather than viewing nature as the arbitrary playground of capricious gods, thinkers like Aristotle saw an ordered cosmos governed by discoverable laws. This conceptual shift made systematic inquiry possible—if nature follows consistent patterns, then careful observation and logical analysis can reveal those patterns. Second, Greek thinkers pioneered the methodology of rational investigation. Socrates demonstrated the power of disciplined questioning to expose contradictions and clarify concepts. Aristotle developed formal logic, establishing rules for valid reasoning that remain foundational to this day. The Greek emphasis on evidence, argument, and logical consistency created intellectual standards that transcended cultural boundaries. Truth was no longer merely a matter of tradition or authority but something to be discovered through rigorous examination of evidence and arguments. Third, Greek philosophy introduced the concept of natural law—the idea that ethical principles can be derived from understanding human nature itself. Aristotle argued that everything in nature has a telos (purpose or end) determined by its essential nature. For humans, our distinctive capacity for reason indicates our purpose is to live according to rational principles. Virtue, in this framework, means developing the qualities that enable us to fulfill our natural purpose. This naturalistic approach to ethics complemented the divine command theory of Jerusalem, providing rational justification for moral principles. The practical impact of Greek rationalism extended far beyond abstract philosophy. It laid the groundwork for scientific inquiry, mathematical discovery, and systematic medicine. Pythagoras explored mathematical relationships, discovering patterns that revealed the hidden structure of reality. Hippocrates established medicine as a discipline based on natural causes rather than supernatural interventions. Archimedes applied mathematical principles to practical engineering problems. These pioneers demonstrated that human reason could not only comprehend the world but transform it. Greek political thought similarly transformed human understanding of social organization. While ancient societies typically accepted whatever political arrangements tradition had established, Greek philosophers asked fundamental questions about justice and legitimacy. Plato's Republic explored different political systems, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Aristotle examined constitutions from various city-states, identifying principles for stable governance. This critical examination of political structures laid the groundwork for later democratic theory and constitutional government. The legacy of Athens complemented Jerusalem's moral vision by providing the intellectual tools needed to pursue truth systematically. Where Jerusalem provided purpose, Athens provided methodology. Together, they established the dual foundation of Western civilization: moral purpose guided by divine revelation and rational inquiry guided by logical principles. This synthesis would later enable unprecedented scientific, technological, and social progress.

Chapter 4: The Enlightenment Synthesis: Faith and Reason United

The synthesis of Jerusalem and Athens reached its most powerful expression during the Enlightenment period, particularly in its Anglo-American manifestation. Far from being a secular rejection of religious values, the American Enlightenment represented the culmination of centuries of intellectual development harmonizing faith and reason. The Founding Fathers drew simultaneously from Biblical principles and classical philosophy, creating a political system that protected both religious freedom and rational inquiry. This synthesis provided both purpose and capacity, both individually and communally. John Locke exemplified this integration by grounding natural rights in both Biblical theology and rational analysis. His argument for human equality and inalienable rights began with the Biblical concept that all humans are created in God's image, then proceeded through rational analysis of what this theological truth implied for political arrangements. The Declaration of Independence followed this pattern, appealing to both "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God" as the foundation for human rights. Thomas Jefferson, though often characterized as a deist, explicitly acknowledged his intellectual debt to both "Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, Sidney, etc." When he substituted "pursuit of happiness" for Locke's "property," he wasn't advocating hedonism but rather drawing on Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia—flourishing through virtuous activity. This synthesis enabled unprecedented political innovation. The American constitutional system created institutional structures derived from rational analysis while maintaining moral purposes grounded in religious values. Madison's famous argument in Federalist 51 recognized human fallibility ("If men were angels, no government would be necessary") while establishing checks and balances to channel self-interest toward public good. The separation of powers reflected both Biblical warnings about human corruption and classical analysis of governmental stability. Rather than seeing faith and reason as competitors, the founders viewed them as complementary ways of understanding human nature and social requirements. Beyond political arrangements, this synthesis shaped American social development. Alexis de Tocqueville observed that Americans formed voluntary associations at an unprecedented rate, creating a vibrant civil society. These associations—many religiously motivated—addressed social needs without government compulsion. Religious communities promoted both moral formation and practical education, developing citizens capable of self-government. The religious liberty protected by the First Amendment allowed diverse faith traditions to contribute to the common good without state control, while freedom of speech and press enabled rational discourse in the public square. The American synthesis demonstrated that individual liberty and communal purpose could reinforce rather than contradict each other. Religious faith provided moral guidance that prevented liberty from degenerating into license, while rational inquiry prevented faith from hardening into dogmatism. The right to pursue happiness was understood not as permission for selfish indulgence but as freedom to fulfill one's duties and develop one's capacities in accordance with natural and divine law. George Washington captured this understanding perfectly: "human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected." This balanced synthesis provided both purpose and capacity at both individual and communal levels. Individuals gained purpose from religious and philosophical traditions while developing capacity through education and economic opportunity. Communities maintained shared moral values while developing institutional capacity through constitutional government and voluntary associations. This equilibrium enabled unprecedented progress in both material prosperity and human freedom.

Chapter 5: The Collapse of Meaning: Abandoning Our Foundations

The gradual erosion of Western civilization's philosophical foundations began with seemingly modest intellectual shifts that eventually produced radical consequences. Three crucial developments undermined the synthesis of Jerusalem and Athens: the rejection of objective moral truth, the denial of human free will and rationality, and the abandonment of natural law. These shifts didn't occur simultaneously, but their combined effect was to deprive Western society of both purpose and capacity at both individual and communal levels. The first major rupture came with the assault on objective moral truth. Thinkers like David Hume famously argued that moral judgments could not be derived from factual observations—the so-called is-ought gap. While Hume himself maintained traditional moral positions, his philosophical framework undermined the connection between natural facts and moral duties that had united the Jerusalem-Athens synthesis. Later philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche took this separation to its logical conclusion, declaring that objective moral truths were mere illusions concealing power dynamics. Morality became understood not as the discovery of transcendent principles but as the arbitrary construction of particular cultures or individuals. This shift deprived individuals and communities of genuine moral purpose, replacing it with subjective preferences lacking transcendent significance. The second rupture involved the gradual reduction of human beings to deterministic systems lacking genuine agency. Darwin's theory of evolution, while scientifically fruitful, was increasingly interpreted to mean that humans were merely complex animals whose thoughts and behaviors were entirely determined by genetic inheritance and environmental conditioning. Freudian psychology suggested that unconscious drives, not rational deliberation, determined human choices. Behaviorists like B.F. Skinner explicitly denied human freedom, reducing consciousness to an epiphenomenon with no causal efficacy. Materialist neuroscience increasingly characterized free will as an illusion generated by biochemical processes. These deterministic frameworks undermined the concept of human capacity—if our choices are merely the product of forces beyond our control, then genuine agency becomes impossible. The third rupture involved the abandonment of natural law in favor of legal positivism and moral relativism. Legal theorists increasingly defined law not as the application of transcendent principles to particular circumstances but as the expression of sovereign will. Justice became whatever those with power declared it to be. Without natural law as a reference point, competing legal and political systems lacked common ground for adjudicating their differences. International relations devolved into pure power politics, while domestic politics increasingly resembled tribal warfare rather than rational deliberation about the common good. These philosophical shifts produced practical consequences across Western societies. As objective moral standards faded, social cohesion weakened. Communities previously united by shared values fragmented into competing identity groups with incompatible moral frameworks. As belief in human agency declined, responsibility diminished—problems were increasingly attributed to "systems" rather than individual choices, leading to both fatalism and utopianism. As natural law concepts disappeared, constitutional principles lost their foundational justification, becoming malleable tools for achieving political objectives rather than enduring constraints on power. The culmination of these trends was the twentieth century's totalitarian movements. Both communism and fascism rejected traditional Western foundations in favor of allegedly "scientific" theories that promised utopian outcomes through unlimited state power. By abandoning both Jerusalem's moral constraints and Athens' respect for rational discourse, these movements unleashed unprecedented destruction. The death toll—exceeding 100 million lives—demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of severing purpose from capacity, faith from reason.

Chapter 6: The Return to Tribalism: Identity Politics vs. Individual Worth

The abandonment of Western civilization's philosophical foundations has revitalized pre-modern tribalism in contemporary forms. Traditional tribal identities were based primarily on kinship, geography, and religion. Modern tribalism, by contrast, organizes around categories like race, gender, sexuality, and political affiliation. Despite these differences, both forms share essential characteristics: they prioritize group identity over individual qualities, demand loyalty to collective interests above personal conscience, and view inter-group relations as inherently adversarial rather than potentially cooperative. Modern identity politics represents a fundamental rejection of the Western synthesis. Where Jerusalem taught that all humans possess equal dignity as divine image-bearers, identity politics evaluates individuals primarily through group membership. Where Athens developed universal principles of justice applicable to all rational beings, identity politics insists that different standards apply to different identity groups. The Western tradition emphasized the development of character virtues transcending particular identities; contemporary discourse often treats such universal standards as mechanisms of oppression. This tribalistic approach manifests in the concept of "intersectionality," which categorizes individuals according to overlapping group identities that supposedly determine their experiences and interests. Rather than engaging with individuals as unique moral agents capable of reasoning beyond their demographic characteristics, intersectional analysis reduces people to their group affiliations. This approach undermines both purpose and capacity at individual and communal levels. Individuals lose the moral purpose provided by universal ethical standards, while their capacity for independent judgment is dismissed as impossible given their social conditioning. Communities lose shared moral purpose as different identity groups adopt incompatible ethical frameworks, while their capacity for cooperation diminishes as dialogue across group boundaries becomes increasingly difficult. The consequences of this tribalistic turn appear throughout contemporary culture. Universities increasingly segregate students by identity categories rather than fostering a common intellectual community. Political discourse frames policy disagreements as conflicts between identity groups rather than reasoned debates about the common good. Cultural institutions abandon universal standards of excellence in favor of representation quotas. Even scientific inquiry faces challenges from those who reject objectivity as impossible given researchers' identity characteristics. This tribalistic paradigm directly contradicts fundamental Western principles. The concept of individual rights presupposes that persons possess value independent of their group affiliations. Constitutional democracy requires citizens capable of reasoning beyond their particular interests toward common principles. Scientific progress depends on evaluating evidence and arguments according to universal standards rather than identity-based perspectives. The abandonment of these principles threatens achievements built over centuries of intellectual development. Particularly troubling is the assault on free expression and rational discourse. Traditional tribal societies often maintained taboos against questioning established beliefs; modern tribalism similarly enforces orthodoxies through social sanctions against dissenting views. Campus speech codes, corporate diversity training, and social media mobs increasingly restrict permissible discourse to narrow parameters. These restrictions undermine the capacity for critical thinking essential to both individual flourishing and societal progress. Without the freedom to question prevailing narratives, intellectual growth becomes impossible. The tribalistic rejection of universal standards ultimately harms those it claims to help. By dismissing objective criteria as tools of oppression, it deprives disadvantaged groups of meaningful standards for achievement. By emphasizing victimhood over agency, it undermines the psychological resources needed for genuine empowerment. By replacing reasoned persuasion with power politics, it eliminates the most effective tool historically available to marginalized groups seeking justice. The Western tradition, despite its historical failures to fully implement its principles, provides conceptual resources for critiquing injustice that tribalism cannot match.

Chapter 7: Rebuilding Civilization: Teaching Purpose to Future Generations

Rebuilding Western civilization requires deliberately transmitting its foundational principles to rising generations. This transmission encompasses both content and methodology—both what we teach and how we teach it. Four essential lessons must form the core of this educational project, corresponding to the four elements of happiness identified earlier: individual moral purpose, individual capacity, communal moral purpose, and communal capacity. The first lesson concerns individual moral purpose: life has transcendent meaning beyond subjective preferences or material gratification. This meaning derives from our nature as beings capable of moral choice and rational thought. Education must therefore emphasize moral formation alongside information transfer. Students need exposure to the great moral traditions that have shaped Western civilization, from Biblical ethics to Aristotelian virtue theory to Kantian deontology. They need to engage with literature that explores moral dilemmas and exemplifies courageous moral decision-making. Most importantly, they need adult models who demonstrate moral purpose through their own lives and choices. The second lesson addresses individual capacity: human beings possess genuine agency despite biological and social influences. Education should develop students' capacity for independent judgment rather than merely inculcating approved opinions. This requires teaching logical reasoning, evidentiary standards, and critical thinking skills applicable across disciplines. Students should practice articulating and defending positions, recognizing that intellectual growth often occurs through engagement with challenging ideas. Rather than protecting students from intellectual discomfort, education should help them develop resilience in confronting difficult concepts. The goal is developing individuals capable of thinking for themselves rather than merely absorbing prevailing orthodoxies. The third lesson concerns communal moral purpose: we are united by shared values transcending our differences. Education should emphasize the principles that bind diverse citizens together in a shared moral community. Students should understand the development of concepts like human dignity, natural rights, and constitutional government. They should study both the failures and achievements of Western societies in implementing these principles. Most importantly, they should recognize that criticism of particular Western practices typically employs Western standards—the very capacity for self-criticism represents one of Western civilization's distinctive strengths. Understanding this common heritage provides the foundation for civic unity amid pluralism. The fourth lesson addresses communal capacity: functioning societies require both strong civic institutions and limited government. Students should understand how constitutional structures balance governmental powers, how voluntary associations address social needs outside governmental control, and how market economies coordinate productive activity without centralized direction. They should study both theoretical principles and historical examples of successful social cooperation. Most importantly, they should develop the interpersonal skills necessary for effective civic participation—listening respectfully to opposing views, finding common ground amid disagreement, and working cooperatively toward shared goals. Implementing this educational vision requires institutional reform at multiple levels. Families must prioritize moral formation alongside material provision. Religious communities must articulate their traditions in ways accessible to contemporary audiences. Schools must resist reducing education to vocational training or ideological indoctrination. Universities must recommit to open inquiry rather than enforcing ideological conformity. Cultural institutions must present Western civilization's achievements alongside its failures, avoiding both uncritical celebration and wholesale condemnation. The stakes could not be higher. Civilizations survive only when each generation successfully transmits core values and competencies to the next. The unprecedented prosperity and freedom enjoyed in Western societies resulted from philosophical foundations laid over centuries of intellectual development. These achievements cannot be sustained if their foundations are forgotten or rejected. Without purposeful transmission, future generations will inherit material prosperity without understanding the moral and intellectual traditions that made it possible.

Summary

Western civilization faces an existential crisis stemming from the gradual abandonment of its philosophical foundations. The synthesis of Jerusalem and Athens—Judeo-Christian values and Greek rationalism—provided both purpose and capacity at individual and communal levels. This synthesis enabled unprecedented human flourishing by establishing both transcendent moral standards and methods for rational inquiry. Its abandonment has led to increasing nihilism, determinism, and tribalism, depriving individuals and communities of both meaning and agency. The path forward requires deliberately rebuilding these foundations through intentional cultural transmission. This process begins with recognizing that genuine happiness requires more than material prosperity or subjective satisfaction—it requires moral purpose and the capacity to pursue that purpose, both individually and communally. By recovering the philosophical heritage that made Western civilization possible, we can restore both meaning and freedom in contemporary society. This recovery isn't merely academic but existential, determining whether future generations will inherit not just material prosperity but the intellectual and moral resources necessary for genuine human flourishing.

About Author

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Ben Shapiro

Benjamin Shapiro was born in 1984 and entered UCLA at the age of 16, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in June 2004 with a BA in Political Science. He graduated Harvard Law School cum laude in June 2007. Shapiro was hired by Creators Syndicate at age 17 to become the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the U.S.His columns are printed in major newspapers and websites including Townhall, ABCNews, WorldNet Daily, Human Events, FrontPage Mag, Family Security Matters, the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Conservative Chronicle. His columns have also appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Sun-Times, Orlando Sentinel, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, RealClearPolitics.com, Arizona Republic, and Claremont Review of Books, among others. He has been the subject of articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Associated Press, and Christian Science Monitor; he has been quoted on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," "The Dr. Laura Show," at CBS News, in the New York Press, in the Washington Times, and in The American Conservative magazine, among many others.The author of the national bestsellers, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (WND Books, May 2004), Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future (Regnery, June 2005), and Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House (Thomas Nelson, 2008), Shapiro has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows around the nation, including "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "Fox and Friends" (Fox News), "In the Money" (CNN Financial), "DaySide with Linda Vester" (Fox News), "Scarborough Country" (MSNBC), "The Dennis Miller Show" (CNBC), "Fox News Live" (Fox News Channel), "Glenn Beck Show" (CNN), "Your World with Neil Cavuto" (Fox News) and "700 Club" (Christian Broadcasting Network), "The Laura Ingraham Show," "The Michael Medved Show," "The G. Gordon Liddy Show," "The Rusty Humphries Show," "The Lars Larson Show" (nationally syndicated), "The Larry Elder Show," The Hugh Hewitt Show," "The Dennis Prager Show," among others.

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