ABSTRACT

During the Great Depression, Marquis Childs argued in Sweden : The Middle Way that the synthesis between capitalism and socialism which Sweden had achieved was in the mainstream of history. European history has several axes. The most important—has to do with ideas and values such as rationality and humanitarianism, and moved from south to north. The civilization of the West has two outstanding themes, both of which are thoroughly entrenched in the Nordic countries; rationalism and humanitarianism. The Nordic countries have been among the first to carry forward this other great theme of Western civilization. Organized, systematized humanitarianism has both merits and drawbacks. European civilization has long tried to achieve a marriage of rationalism and humanitarianism. The classical Greek outlook, out of which rationality developed, is concerned with general cases and common types, while the Christian view, the source of humanitarian, is concerned with the uniqueness of each individual soul.