"The subject of this book is forgetfulness"

The over-whelming sentiment of Lee Harris's timely Civilization And Its Enemies The Next Stage of History is pretty much summed up in the Preface when he asserts: "The subject of this book is forgetfulness."

Harris, who could be described as a "philosopher's philosopher," convincingly places 9/11 into perspective with carefully crafted arguments reminding the reader that we have learned little from the past.

Concepts such as who the enemy is and why it is imperative to react ruthlessly are extensively examined in the light of past historical events as the French Revolution, World War 1 and the teachings of the great political philosophers.

No doubt, the book is a riveting attack on many naive liberal ideals that refuse to believe that the enemy is motivated by a fantasy ideology bent on destroying the very foundations of Western democratic principles and ideology no matter what it takes.

Harris argues that it is a grave mistake to adopt out- dated rationalizations espoused by many intellectuals that the enemy can be a viable negotiator, notwithstanding that they may be misguided, misunderstood or politically immature-that in the end things can be worked out. This naïve and complacent view of the world as it should be and not as it is a gross misunderstanding of the collision we are presently facing. Unless, as the author points out, we are prepared to look seriously at the historical stakes in America's world-historical gamble, we will completely misunderstand the enemy.

To explain the notion of "world-historical gamble," Harris relies on the writings of the German philosopher, Hegel, who believed that that such gambles arise from situations of historical impasse or deadlock for the human race. In such instances, it is vital that mankind doesn't ignore these situations and bury its head in the sand, as if they don't exist. This would be far more dangerous than taking the "world-historical gamble."

Many other concepts examined within the context of the present day crisis are origins and importance of leadership, team spirit, tolerance, the origin of the enemy, the rare virtues of the West, ruthlessness and Hegel's origin of civilization.

Harris's gets top marks for his clear and precise writing that contains a great deal of substance that avoids generalizations that are often the shortcomings of books of a similar nature. You get a sense that Harris knows what he is talking about without talking down to his audience.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted April 21, 2004

Summary

Forgetfulness occurs when those who have been long inured to civilized order can no longer remember a time in which they had to wonder whether their crops would grow to maturity without being stolen or their children sold into slavery by a victorious foe....They forget that in time of danger, in the face of the enemy, they must trust and confide in each other, or perish....They forget, in short, that there has ever been a category of human experience called the enemy. "That, before 9/11, was what had happened to us. The very concept of the enemy had been banished from our moral and political vocabulary. An enemy was just a friend we hadn't done enough for yet. Or perhaps there had been a misunderstanding, or an oversight on our part -- something that we could correct.... "Our first task is therefore to try to grasp what the concept of the enemy really means. The enemy is someone who is willing to die in order to kill you. And while it is true that the enemy always hates us for a reason, it is his reason, and not ours." So begins Civilization and Its Enemies, an extraordinary tour de force by America's "reigning philosopher of 9/11," Lee Harris. What Francis Fukuyama did for the end of the Cold War, Lee Harris has now done for the next great conflict: the war between the civilized world and the international terrorists who wish to destroy it. Each major turning point in our history has produced one great thinker who has been able to step back from petty disagreements and see the bigger picture -- and Lee Harris has emerged as that man for our time. He is the one who has helped make sense of the terrorists' fantasies and who forces us most strongly to confront the fact that our enemy -- for the first time in centuries -- refuses to play by any of our rules, or to think in any of our categories. We are all naturally reluctant to face a true enemy. Most of us cannot give up the myth that tolerance is the greatest of virtues and that we can somehow convert the enemy to our beliefs. Yet, as Harris's brilliant tour through the stages of civilization demonstrates, from Sparta to the French Revolution to the present, civilization depends upon brute force, properly wielded by a sovereign. Today, only America can play the role of sovereign on the world stage, by the use of force when necessary. Lee Harris's articles have been hailed by thinkers from across the spectrum. His message is an enduring one that will change the way readers think -- about the war with Iraq, about terrorism, and about our future.