The Demoralization of Western Culture: Social Theory and the Dilemmas of Modern Living

by Ralph Fevre

"There is a continuing popular debate in the western world about values, and in particular those values according to which we conduct our private lives. This debate reflects genuine confusion about our morality; it seems that we are more unsure about where right and wrong might lie than at any previous point in our history. In The Demoralization of Western Culture, Ralph Fevre undertakes an ambitious exercise in social theory that attempts to produce a coprehensive explanation of these difficulties." "His book is most concerned with two main ideas: the application of rationality in the wrong place, and the type of rationality that is being misapplied. He argues that the most important cause behind the demoralization of our culture lies in the popularity of a particular sort of reasoning, a sub-category of rationality called common sense, which came to dominate our thinking during the twentieth century. He applies this notion to all aspects of our lives, from our sexual relationships to our careers. Drawing on a wide variety of existing social theory as well as evidence from surveys, polls, journalism, and various forms of cultural commentary, Fevre's book aims to be accessible to all those with an interest in the present crisis of values. Breaking free of the conventions of specialized social science, he moves instead into the territory of public philosophy, a tradition that forces us to engage in ethical reflection as well as the simple evaluation of argument."--BOOK JACKET.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2001

Reviews

[Tucker]

Fevre maintains that there are four ways to "make sense" and make a morality: common sense, sentiment, religion, science. These spheres have difficulty making sense of each other because they do not share the same methods and and values. I noted that "common sense" and "sentiment" seemed to be his words for what is more commonly called reason and emotion.

I can readily accept his assertion that people in bygone days preferred religion over science, but I was skeptical of his claim that they also preferred sentiment over common sense (the latter including beliefs such as money makes the world go round and sex is part of human nature, which I do not think are exclusively modern orientations).

(Handwritten notes dated 2003 found inside print book in 2017)