From Dawn to Decadence

In this book, Jacques Barzun provides a detailed and interpretative history of Western culture from approximately 1500 to 2000.

The book is divided into four large-scale periods, each addressing different themes such as religious belief, governance, social and economic equality, and the effects of these eras.

Barzun explores various aspects of Western culture, including religious and philosophical thought, governance, politics, literature, art, music, science, and technology.

He identifies recurring themes like abstraction, analysis, emancipation, individualism, primitivism, scientism, and secularism.

The book concludes with a critique of modern society, describing it as a period of 'decadence' characterized by restlessness, institutional dysfunction, and a loss of creative possibilities, yet offering a hopeful note for future cultural renewal.