ABSTRACT
Western civilization and the Modern age have been under scrutiny not only for their failings, but also for their redemption. This chapter aims to hopscotch briefly through some key events in the history of the West and some elements that have created the Modern age. It describes the colonial age as one key origin of the current crises. While Western civilization is generally traced from the Classical periods of Greece and Rome, it is useful to briefly discuss the Neolithic era, from approximately 3500 BCE to 1700 BCE, or what is called Old Europe. Many previous epochal transformations—with their knowledge constructs, cultural ways, and political economic systems—preceded and shaped the Western project. There have been historical times when humans did live in harmony with Earth. Australian environmental scientist Haydn Washington argues that sustainability is “built on the foundation of how people relate to Nature”.
