4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A vital contribution to modern discourse, June 22, 2008
This review is from: Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future (Paperback)
It is not John Press but the negative reviewer above who proves to be "close-minded" and pig-ignorant. While I too have some disagreements with the author, Culturism is on the whole a truly bold and iconoclastic contribution to intellectual discourse in a political and cultural climate that incessently worships but never defines the value of "diversity". Too often, lazy thinkers like this reviewer above argue that a true respect for diversity demands uncritical accomodation to the co-existence of many different moral values and belief systems to prove that one is not "racist". This is supposed to be an unquestioned good in itself even if many of these values and beliefs are by definition incompatible within the boundaries of one society or culture. Press's most crucial point is that societies DO have the right to define themselves and to defend and maintain their underlying coherence and unified moral purpose. The failure to do so leads not only to extreme cultural relativism (and ultimately ANARCHY!) but can perpetuate and create needless social and military strife. In our case as Americans, we should not apologize for - but vehemently ADVOCATE - our standing as a nation of the West and one whose defined freedoms and liberties should never be compromised by the need to "tolerate" incompatible groups and missions. Simply for making that point (along with many other interesting excursions in intellectual and cultural history) we as readers should profoundly than John Press for getting this discourse underway.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Culturism vs Multiculturism, February 2, 2008
This review is from: Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future (Paperback)
When I first read of the idea of Culturism, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. Of course, everything made sense, here was a word and a concept "Culturism" I had been struggling to define whenever my thoughts turned to multiculturalism.
"Multiculturalism robs us of the authority to protect our culture"
As I read brief passages from each chapter of the book, I couldn't help but keep repeating to myself, "of course, of course of course" it just all made perfect sense.
JKP's book concerns itself to culturism in America but it's concepts can be applied universally.
Within the context of America, JKP identifies the origins of American Culturism as emerging from the Puritan ethic.
The first section on the Puritan ethic was a new concept to me.
Reading this section wasn't so much an "of course" experience as much as a steep learning curve It is an aspect of American history that I have not much familiarity.
The Puritan theme is used to tie together the notion of Culturism and American culture.
JKP explains the ideas that gave birth to multiculturalism in anthropology. Margaret Mead has a lot to answer for.
So what is JKP getting at? Nothing less than the need to understand that our culture, are values are not self - evident as they may appear to us and especially not to other cultures.
It is JKP's message that our culture needs to be defended if it is to survive.
Most significant is the western notion of Justice.
JKP uses many examples of practices of other cultures to drive home the point that there is no room in our culture for multiculturalism when multiculturalism threatens the values that we take for granted.
The false notion that we have accepted in that all cultures are equal.
JKP points out the myth of the noble savage, invented by Rousseau. This myth has developed to include the belief that indigenous cultures were caretakers of their environment whilst immigrant cultures destroyed and pillaged the environment.
Very much the same ideas are in the book The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery.
So the subtle message which JKP presents very gently, in a restrained voice is that western culture is under threat from Islamic culture.
The call to Culturism is to awaken us to the very qualities that make our culture unique and worthy of protecting. If we do not protect our culture then we will inevitably lose what we cherish.
There is a lot more food for thought in this book of which I have highlighted what to me is the core message. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Culturism Described, October 10, 2007
This review is from: Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future (Paperback)
Culturism (c'l-chì'r-'zì-'m) n. 1. A philosophy which holds that majority cultures have the right to define and defend themselves. 2. The philosophy, science and art of managing and protecting majority cultures. 3. The study of culturism.
Culturism is a political philosophy, art and science based upon the understanding that cultural diversity is real and important. Western culture believes in free speech, feminism, and the separation of church and state. Islam does not. Western culture is based on individuals applying their intelligence towards progressive and productive ends. Other cultures value tradition, festivals and large families. Culturism does not hold that any culture is better or worse than any other. It does hold that all cultures, be they Islamic, Asian, Western, African, Latin American or other, have a right to define and defend themselves. All cultures have a right to implement culturist policies. Western culturists hold that Western countries also have a right and responsibility to implement culturist measures designed to perpetuate our unique and valuable cultural vision.
The book culturism starts by showing that the U.S. has a long tradition of culturism. Culturist dynamics in world history are then explored. The chapter on anthropology shows just how wide diversity is and what we can expect to naturally emerge if we do not practice culturism. When we realize how disgusting and broad diversity has been and is we are finally ready to move on to the chapter in which we define Western culture. The excursion into natural sciences shows that culture has unique functions in primates like man. Furthermore, group survival and boundaries preceding us demonstrate that culturism is not just a figment of man's imagination. The chapter on culturist psychology applies the dynamics we discovered in nature to man and helps us know who we are and what we need to do. The last chapters try to pull Western philosophy back into its traditional culturist mode, compare culturism to multiculturalism, and suggest culturist policies.
Overall, the book shows that culturism is a real and important dynamic in our world. It argues that Western nations need to be as culturist as other nations. Finally, it argues that we can start in that direction immediately by identifying ourselves as culturists!
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