--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Discussions of Western civilization are…" description: "\"Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively narrow element of public taste and experience..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg" --- # Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined… ![“Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively narrow element of public taste and experience.” quote by Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg) > “Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively narrow element of public taste and experience.” [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that Western civilization is often taught through a limited elite cultural lens, excluding broader public experiences. **In simple terms:** Western studies focus too narrowly on elite art, ignoring common life. Key Takeaway Broaden curricula to include diverse voices. Themes education culture inclusivity Mood critical analytical Type academic political. When to use this quote - school curricula - public lectures - media analysis - policy making Key Concepts canon criticism public discourse social equity Questions to Reflect On - What voices are missing from current narratives? - How can curricula become more inclusive? A Different Perspective Expanding scope may face resistance from traditionalists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [High art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-art/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-civilization/) ## Related quotes > [Unless we realize that the essence of Nazism is also an attempt to solve a universal problem of Western civilization - that of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/unless-we-realize-that-the-essence-of-nazism-is-also-an-attempt-to/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [By working and living in New York, you are breathing Western civilization, continuously reminded of its benefits and its values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/by-working-and-living-in-new-york-you-are-breathing-western/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [It is the West that has liberated women, racial minorities, religious minorities, and gays and lesbians, recognizing and defending their rights. The notions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/it-is-the-west-that-has-liberated-women-racial-minorities-religious/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Each time you admire the façade of the New York Public Library, you are paying homage to Western civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/each-time-you-admire-the-fa-ade-of-the-new-york-public-library-you/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The greatest number of drug addicts are to be found in Teheran and in Karachi, not in the West. Not in New York believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-greatest-number-of-drug-addicts-are-to-be-found-in-teheran-and-in/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: this triptych succinctly defines the attractiveness and superiority of Western civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-this-triptych-succinctly/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [If the work is poor, the public taste will soon do it justice. And the author, reaping neither glory nor fortune, will learn by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-louis-david/if-the-work-is-poor-the-public-taste-will-soon-do-it-justice-and-the/) [Jacques-Louis David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-louis-david/) > [You've got to change with the public's taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/you-ve-got-to-change-with-the-public-s-taste/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [An actor should refine public taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/an-actor-should-refine-public-taste/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [The syllogism art for art's sake refers to that kind of painting which disregards, or is contrary to, public taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/the-syllogism-art-for-art-s-sake-refers-to-that-kind-of-painting/) [Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/) > [Those who say they give the public what it wants begin by underestimating public taste and end by debauching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/those-who-say-they-give-the-public-what-it-wants-begin-by/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Those who say they (television) give the public what it wants begin by underestimating public taste, and end by debauching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-say-they-television-give-the-public-what-it-wants-begin-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The adult public's taste is not necessarily ready to accept the logical solutions to their requirements if the solution implies too vast a departure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-loewy/the-adult-public-s-taste-is-not-necessarily-ready-to-accept-the/) [Raymond Loewy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-loewy/) > [It is precisely those artists and writers who are most inclined to think of their art as the manifestation of their personality who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/it-is-precisely-those-artists-and-writers-who-are-most-inclined-to/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More by Ibn Warraq > [Monotheism is in its turn doomed to subtract one more God and become atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/monotheism-is-in-its-turn-doomed-to-subtract-one-more-god-and-become/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I have always felt that many Christians, deeply sincere Christians, support the idea of separation of State and Church and the secularist in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-have-always-felt-that-many-christians-deeply-sincere-christians/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [In Saudi Arabia, among other countries, Muslims are not free to convert to Christianity, and Christians are not free to practice their faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/in-saudi-arabia-among-other-countries-muslims-are-not-free-to-convert/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I wish more people would belabor the obvious, and more often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-wish-more-people-would-belabor-the-obvious-and-more-often/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [It is the West that has liberated women, racial minorities, religious minorities, and gays and lesbians, recognizing and defending their rights. The notions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/it-is-the-west-that-has-liberated-women-racial-minorities-religious/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism-self-criticism-the/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Not only is the West so successful economically, but it leads the world scientifically, and culturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/not-only-is-the-west-so-successful-economically-but-it-leads-the/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Abolitionism did not find positive response in Africa as it did in Western societies and cultures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/abolitionism-did-not-find-positive-response-in-africa-as-it-did-in/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The greatest number of drug addicts are to be found in Teheran and in Karachi, not in the West. Not in New York believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-greatest-number-of-drug-addicts-are-to-be-found-in-teheran-and-in/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Of course slavery and the Muslims were deeply implicated in the slave trade, Islam was an Imperialist religion which destroyed Christianity in the Near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/of-course-slavery-and-the-muslims-were-deeply-implicated-in-the-slave/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I think forgiveness plays a very important part in Western society and it comes from the Judeo Christian heritage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-think-forgiveness-plays-a-very-important-part-in-western-society/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: this triptych succinctly defines the attractiveness and superiority of Western civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-this-triptych-succinctly/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The rich countries are rich because of their practices at home, and because of their readiness to adopt and adapt new things, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-rich-countries-are-rich-because-of-their-practices-at-home-and/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [A culture that gave the world the spiritual creations of the Classical Music of Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and Schubert, the paintings of Michelangelo, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/a-culture-that-gave-the-world-the-spiritual-creations-of-the/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [We cannot hope to win the ideological battle against Islam without criticism of Islam, it is essential that we continue to criticize Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/we-cannot-hope-to-win-the-ideological-battle-against-islam-without/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) [Explore all 38 Ibn Warraq quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively narrow element of public taste and experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ibn Warraq" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/discussions-of-western-civilization-are-too-often-confined-to-works/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/discussions-of-western-civilization-are-too-often-confined-to-works/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/ibn-warraq-17129_art_discussions-of-western-civilization-are_1421577.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Discussions of Western civilization are too often confined to works of high art that reflect a relatively…” — Ibn Warraq", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ibn Warraq", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Discussions of Western civilization are too...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/discussions-of-western-civilization-are-too-often-confined-to-works/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/discussions-of-western-civilization-are-too-often-confined-to-works/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```