Civilization and its Enemies

Civilization and its Enemies: The Next Stage of History (2004) is a book by American author Lee Harris. Harris argues that the Western world has neglected, or forgotten, the concept of "the enemy", and that this was an important factor in failing to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Quote

Forgetfulness occurs when those who have been long accustomed to civilized order can no longer remember a time in which they had to wonder whether their crops would grow to maturity without being stolen or their children sold into slavery by a victorious foe . . . They forget that in time of danger, in the face of the enemy, they must trust and confide in each other, or perish . . . They forget, in short, that there has ever been a category of human experience called the enemy."

The title of this book, and perhaps its content may have been inspired by Sigmund Freud's "Civilization and Its Discontents" which discusses the conflict between the individual's antisocial desires of the ego and id with the constraints of a civilized and orderly society.

Contents

• Chapter 1 The Riddle of the Enemy
• Chapter 2 Our World-Historical Gamble
• Chapter 3 Defining the Enemy
• Chapter 4 The Grand Illusion
• Chapter 5 Ruthlessness and the Origin of Civilization
• Chapter 6 The Birth of Patriotism and the Historic Role of the United States
• Chapter 7 Two Types of Cosmopolitanism: Liberal Versus Team
• Chapter 8 How Reason Goes Wrong
• Chapter 9 Tolerance: A Case Study
• Chapter 10 The Origin of the Enemy
• Chapter 11 The Rare Virtues of the West
• Chapter 12 Conclusion: The Next Stage of History

References