Historical Context Shapes Cultural Anxiety

Cultural anxiety in Western societies stems from a fractured understanding of shared values and a public conception of the good. This situation has evolved particularly since the 1960s, leading to a trend in education that seeks to eliminate any aspects of the past that can be seen as oppressive or dominating. Consequently, history is often interpreted solely as power dynamics, neglecting its potential lessons. This polarization complicates the transmission of historical knowledge, as ideological divides hinder consensus on what constitutes valuable heritage. The intellectual landscape has also shifted, with increasing secularization among academics influencing this discourse.