Download or read book Inventing Western Civilization written by Thomas C. Patterson and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this wonderful book, Thomas Patterson effectively dethrones the concept of 'civilization' as an abstract good, transcending human society." --Martin Bernal Drawing on his extensive knowledge of early societies, Thomas C. Patterson shows how class, sexism, and racism have been integral to the appearance of "civilized" societies in Western Europe. He lays out clearly and simply how civilization, with its designs of "civilizing" and "being civilized," has been closely tied to the rise of capitalism in Western Europe and the development of social classes.