UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Prof. James Hankins: The return of Western civilisation
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Dec 26, 2025 
Prof. James Hankins, a Harvard historian and Renaissance scholar, dives into the troubled legacy of Western civilization and classical education. He highlights the profound contributions of Greek thought and Roman law, emphasizing reason's role in shaping democracy. Hankins critiques the modern neglect of these traditions, lamenting the cultural amnesia in elite institutions. Yet, he offers a glimmer of hope, likening today's revival of classical education to the early Renaissance, suggesting that a cultural renaissance is within reach.
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Greek Roots: Language, Citizenship, Reason
- The Greek contribution to the Western tradition is language, citizenship, and reason as a public arbiter.
- James Hankins argues Greeks made persuasion and collective self-government central to political life.
Rome: Law Above Politics
- Roman law elevated the rule of law above politics using Stoic natural law as justification.
- Hankins says Cicero framed tyranny as breaking the civil law, linking law to collective tradition.
Christianity's Social Legacy
- Christianity introduced social care and a moral obligation to protect the weak, reshaping public institutions.
- Hankins traces hospitals, poor relief, and sexual protections back to Christian influence in the late Roman empire.