In 2010, Ian Morris published his highly acclaimed study, Why the West Rules for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Tell Us About the Future. As his title suggests, Morris both looks backwards to explain the reasons for the West’s dominance in the 20th century, but also looks forward as to whether China will end that dominance in the 21st century.
Morris argues that the answer to the West’s superiority lies not in any cultural or racial superiority, but in how it was able to shape its physical, economic, social and intellectual environments. He first considers biological and sociological factors which he believes tend to be common to both East and West, and then turns to geographical differences over time. He analyzes how these factors have affected the East and West since the end of the great ice age around 15,000 years ago and how they may affect both the West and the rising powers of Asia in the future.
Critics have commented on Morris’ keen research and insightful arguments, looking back at fifteen thousand years of history and bringing together the latest findings across disciplines—from archeology and ancient history to information technology and neuroscience. However, his work is not without critics, particularly of his neglect of cultural and racial factors. Our SDG promises to be informative, thought-provoking and even controversial. Toward the end of our SDG, we will also consider how Morris’s analysis and predictions have worn after thirteen years.
