In this engaging discussion, Josephine Quinn, an esteemed ancient historian, challenges the traditional narratives of Western culture by linking it to a diverse tapestry of ancient civilizations spanning 4,000 years. She argues that the roots of the modern West are intertwined with contributions from Babylon, Phoenician innovations, and Arabic scholarship. They dive into the significance of Minoan civilization, the transformation of Mediterranean sailing, and the complexities of Phoenician identity. Quinn advocates for a history that celebrates connection rather than separation.
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Quinn's Non-Traditional Academic Path
Josephine Quinn shared her unique journey from a state school to becoming a professor at Oxford and then Cambridge by teaching herself Latin and loving languages.
She spent over 20 years at Oxford before moving to Cambridge for a prestigious chair in ancient history.
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Civilizational Thinking Is Modern
Civilizational thinking is a modern construct originating in the 18th and 19th centuries with the idea of separate, distinct civilizations.
This mode of thought misrepresents ancient cultures, especially the Greek and Roman traditions, which saw themselves as interconnected and influenced by others.
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West As History of Interactions
Moving away from civilizations as static entities, Quinn frames the West's history as one of interactions, exchanges, and connections over 4,000 years.
The Age of Exploration marks a recognizable shaping point for the modern West after centuries of entanglement.
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Interview with Josephine Quinn, author of 'How the World Made the West: A 4000 Year History'
In How the World Made the West, Josephine Quinn poses perhaps the most significant challenge ever to the “civilizational thinking” regarding the origins of Western culture—that is, the idea that civilizations arose separately and distinctly from one another. Rather, she locates the roots of the modern West in everything from the law codes of Babylon, Assyrian irrigation, and the Phoenician art of sail to Indian literature, Arabic scholarship, and the metalworking riders of the Steppe, to name just a few examples. According to Quinn, reducing the backstory of the modern West to a narrative that focuses on Greece and Rome impoverishes our view of the past. This understanding of history would have made no sense to the ancient Greeks and Romans themselves, who understood and discussed their own connections to and borrowings from others. They consistently presented their own culture as the result of contact and exchange. Quinn builds on the writings they left behind with rich analyses of other ancient literary sources like the epic of Gilgamesh, holy texts, and newly discovered records revealing details of everyday life. A work of breathtaking scholarship, How the World Made the West also draws on the material culture of the times in art and artifacts as well as findings from the latest scientific advances in carbon dating and human genetics to thoroughly debunk the myth of the modern West as a self-made miracle.
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Javier Mejia is an economist at Stanford University who specializes in the intersection of social networks and economic history. His research interests also include entrepreneurship and political economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Los Andes University. Mejia has previously been a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at New York University-Abu Dhabi and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bordeaux. He is also a frequent contributor to various news outlets, currently serving as an op-ed columnist for Forbes Magazine.
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