Kenneth Clark's Civilisation

The opening 6 minutes of "The Skin of our Teeth", the first episode of Kenneth Clark's 1969 series "Civilisation: A Personal View". Now available on DVD at http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00077284C/magicnet-21/

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• kenneth
• clark
• civilisation

[liveingalway]

What music is this? Is it by Bach?

[cagliost]

Choral No. 3 in A minor by César Franck

[kosimpson]

Civilisation could never be created today. In "The Skin of our Teeth" Clark says designs in celtic illuminated  manuscripts are far more elaborate than those in Islamic art. Could you imagine the BBC allowing that kind of statement today? Moreover Clark casts the Christian church as a civilizing influence. I love this series because one could never hear such honest statements in our modern Politically Correct world.

[mawooshen]

To be honest, 1969 had its own "political correctness" that was just different to the one prevalent in the UK now.

ie you could say some things then that you would get castigated for now, and vice versa.

Some or many elements of the current political correctness are disingenous, hypocritical and infuriating, but on the whole I reckon there's considerably more broadcasting freedom (in terms of opinion and ideas) now than in 1969.

[michatube23]

while i'm really not a fan of political correctness, this guy sort of made me feel uneasy. im surprised at myself.

[arsviatticae]

By the new Barbarians he meant the Soviets I guess. Greetings from Russia:-)

Paul.

[halothewynd1]

It should perhaps be remembered that the Roman world was largely built on slavery - the northern "barbarian" tribal nations were not!

[jjpcondor]

@CriticalEnquirer yes, thank you for your correction

[CriticalEnquirer]

@jjpcondor I think you mean "utmost".

[jjpcondor]

@kosimpson The Political corectness is out-most hypocrisy.

[TheGoodoldme]

@Markinthewoods,

Understable that Africa blames others.....in most or all cases, the blame is justified! Like I said, civilised politicians have made it their job to cause instability in many countries so that the so-called civilised can live in wealth!

[Markinthewoods]

@TheGoodoldme

Must be nice to think you can't be taught anything about Africa (or anything else for that matter)! As Einstein said, “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” It's hard to debate with somebody who has certain idee fixes, rather like introducing rational discourse into a religious argument. In any event, good luck. Africa will be blaming others for its misfortunes until kingdom come. Now China's turn.

[TheGoodoldme]

@Markinthewoods,

You started the whole thing about killings, war, starvation, medicine, witchcraft, Sahara Desert etc, etc, etc.....I just pointed out each point you argued ( tried) with in the first place...... there is nothing about Africa you can teach me....you have to believe me......! Thanx for the debatte! Had loads of fun... ;-))

[Markinthewoods]

@TheGoodoldme

You are conflating many different things, "civilised" with opportunism, for one. As a proportion of the population of these lands, many fewer die now than then. If you go through economic figures for colonial Africa, you will find that productivity was much higher. Africa is now poorer than it was sixty years ago. It is no good sitting in a comfortable chair in the rich West speculating about Africa, go there, live there for forty years, then let me have your opinion.