A thematic essay following the course of Western history in terms of cultural inheritance and legacy from Periclean Athens through the Dark Ages and Renaissance, into the beginning of what is now the third millennium. Blackham, founder of the British Humanist Association, draws power from a scholarly attitude and a deep commitment to understanding the lessons of history and culture as they affect the manner in which Western society drives toward its future. The volume has an ambitious goal to provide a foundation for understanding the past and also to provoke a responsible and informed...