Unearthing the Western Regions: A Clear-Eyed Look at the World

The heritage passed down to us today is richer than ever before. It is richer than that of Pericles, because it includes the finest achievements of Greek culture that came after him; richer than that of Leonardo da Vinci, because it includes the other great masters of the Renaissance; richer than that of Voltaire, because it encompasses the full fruits of the Enlightenment. If history can be said to progress, it is not because we are born healthier, better, or more intelligent than those who came before us, but because we are born into a richer heritage and stand on a higher foundation. History, in essence, is the creation and recording of this heritage; progress is its expansion, preservation, transmission, and use.