The Brown Book

Undated

Overview

Wagner examines two reasons for refusing to acknowledge decline: uncertainty about remedies and the slowness of the process. He argues that comparisons with Rome require attention to the differences between ancient and modern culture.

Content

Undated:

One might wish to refuse to recognize decline on grounds 1) of the impossibility of foretelling how it might be prevented, 2) of a complete decline being a very slow process, as may be seen from the centuries-long delayed downfall of the Roman World. To apply the latter phenomenon correctly to our own time could, however, only succeed if the immense difference between ancient and modern culture were correctly evalued.