more on matters of culture...

Submitted by J.S. (Canada), Feb 21, 2006 at 15:51

The website, amazon.com features a review of the text, "Culture Matters: How values shape human progress." The editor, Lawrence H. Harrison, of *Culture Matters" is not afraid of ruffling feathers in the academic world or asking politically incorrect questions (as a review article notes, the editor asked the question: "Are some cultures better than others at creating freedom, prosperity, and justice?") I believe the answer is a (qualified) "yes."

I think different cultures also respond differently to the challenges of modernity...I recall reading how the British were able to build a functioning railway system in India during their occupation of India -- and how the British had aspired to do the same in China...The British maintained that they were defeated in building a Chinese rail system because the Chinese would hire unqualified people (the hiring was based on family kin associations, not the job applicants' abilities. (Any Chinese person who attempted to hire someone based solely on meritocracy would have been shamed by his relatives.)

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".