Overview

'Witty and accessible' ANGELA SAINI 'A vital piece of work' ROMA AGRAWAL 'Stunning' DAN HICKS Knowledge is power. Time is money. Justice is blind. Western civilisation is a powerful brand, and full of accepted wisdoms like these that we rarely question. Taking cues from Greek philosophy and honed in the Enlightenment, certain notions about humanity and society grew into the tenets many of us still live by today. But if we take a closer look at these ideas, it seems they are not all they are cracked up to be. In fact, some of them are outright lies - and we can start to ask who really benefits from them. What is the value of a scientific worldview that conjured up 'race'? Are the Western concepts of 'saving' and 'wasting' time really the best ways to live? Who are our laws actually designed to serve? And the real question: is the West as civilised as it likes to think it is? In an age of division and entrenched inequality, Uncivilised is a timely, provocative and entertaining counter to the ideas and assumptions that have shaped the West, exposing the fatal flaws at its core.

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9781399704366

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A witty and accessible survey of the shortcomings of western civilisation as many people imagine it -- Angela Saini, author of SUPERIOR

A witty and accessible survey of the shortcomings of western civilisation as many people imagine it -- Angela Saini, author of SUPERIOR A vital piece of work in our challenging times that reminds us of the rich history and influences outside the West. Das writes with passion and humour to open our eyes to the history that has shaped our world -- Roma Agrawal A stunning debut. Subhadra Das shows how a word - civilisation - became a lie. She traces how that lie was repeated and transformed in universities and museums, and how it came to be embedded in the idea of 'western' culture itself. Clearly and passionately, Uncivilised shows us how to begin to dispel such enduring untruths - with seriousness and humour in equal measure -- Dan Hicks, author of THE BRUTISH MUSEUMS

Author Information

Subhadra Das is a writer, historian, broadcaster, and comedian who looks at the relationship between science and society. She specialises in the history and philosophy of science, particularly the history of scientific racism and eugenics. For nine years, she was Curator of the Science Collections at University College London, where, more recently, she was also Researcher in Critical Eugenics at the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Racism and Racialisation, working with Paul Gilroy. She has written and presented podcasts and stand-up comedy shows, curated museum exhibitions, and regularly appears on radio and TV.

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