History of Western Morals [Paperback]

Crane Brinton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2001

Hailed by The New York Times as "tantalizing" and "learned," A History of Western Morals brings together an impressive range of knowledge of Western civilization. From the ancient cultures of the Near East, through the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds, to the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Renaissance, the Age of Reason and the twentieth century, Crane Brinton searches human history for the meaning of ethics. A History of Western Morals raises controversial conclusions about the value of religion in society, the practices of sex, the nature of crime and the possibility of progress.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Brinton was among the most distinguished 20th-century historians of ideas. This 1959 work remains a solid and readable introduction to the history of Western morals. It traces moral thought from the Ancient Near East to the mid-20th century. As in his earlier works, Ideas and Men and The Shaping of the Modern Mind, Brinton describes man's quest to get from the real world to the ideal world or, in this case, to get from the moral "is" to the moral "ought."
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a fine book...tantalizing...learned...an elegant volume...." -The New York Times

"Mr. Brinton...is a superb craftsman in the history of ideas, with an astonishing mastery over his material and an enviable skill at presenting it." -The Nation

"One of the outstanding merits of Brinton's book is its judicious balance between the sociological and the purely ideological aspects of the history of morals.... This work will stand high and long on its merits." -Christian Century

"...the most sensible and genuinely sophisticated book yet done on the subject...highly readable...displays an exceptionally wide learning...." -American History Review

"An authoritative work of awe-inspiring erudition." -Library Journal

"Mr. Brinton blend[s] historical erudition, philosophical sophistication, worldly wit, and moral seriousness in judicious proportions. [A History of Western Morals] offers abundant pleasures."-The Christian Science Monitor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House (January 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557783705
• ISBN-13: 978-1557783707
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,332,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history of morals, July 26, 2000

By 

Robert James (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: History of Western Morals (Paperback)

Crane Brinton's 1959 "A History of Western Morals" is a wonderful history of what various western civilizations have believed to be right and wrong. Beginning in the ancient mideast and Greece, and continuing up until the middle of the twentieth century, Brinton combines a historian's understanding of the past with a contemporary view of the value of deciding moral issues with reference to the past. He does not shy away from suggesting which moral standpoints have the most value, but only after examining the implications of each historical set of morals. This is not a book that caters to our current lack of historical understanding; you need to know who the players are before starting to read this book (if you know, say, who Luther, Aristotle, and John Stuart Mill are, you'll do fine; otherwise, wait until you've had a class in western civilization in high school or college). Readable by anybody with a background in basic western history, "A History of Western Morals" is one of the most stimulating books I have ever read.