Editing Human Accomplishment (section)

== Reviews ==

The [[American Library Association]]: Murray says, "Achievements that require mental and spiritual effort are the highest forms of human endeavor". He has scanned the most reputable biographical dictionaries and histories of the Arts, Philosophy, and Sciences to find who and what, during 800 B.C.-1950, are mentioned in them. He came up with 4,139 people and a list of events and ponders 20 persons in each of nine scientific, three philosophic, and nine artistic fields who were most extensively covered in the resources. More than 80 percent are "dead white males," and Murray carefully examines why. The greatest achievements of India, China, Japan, and Islam occurred well before the West took off during the Renaissance, and each of those cultures valued duty, family, and consensus, whereas the West prefers individualism, the sine qua non of scientific debate and discovery. Further, the scientific method was a set of Western "meta-inventions" (Murray's term) that arose, fortunately, simultaneously with the ratification of [[Thomism]], with its dual emphasis on Faith and Reason, by the most important Cultural force in the West, the Roman Catholic Church of overarching importance to great achievements in any culture. Murray argues that life has purpose and belief in ideals of beauty, truth, and goodness. This book probably won't get Murray in as much hot water as ''[[The Bell Curve]]'' (1994) did. Then again, with its speculations that the rate of great achievements has slowed since 1800 and that the arts are in a very bad way, maybe it will.