We have been following the attacks on Western Civilization instruction on American campuses, as well as the undermining of “whites” and “males” that comprise a key part of that area of study.

That is why a suggestion in the National Association of Scholars’ list of “One Hundred Great Ideas for Higher Education” is intriguing.

One of the suggestions comes from Jay Bergman, who teaches history at Central Connecticut State University, and actually recommends a revival of this particular area of study:

Every American should know Western civilization, of which American culture and political institutions are an integral part.

By Western civilization I mean the constellation of ideas, political arrangements, ethical precepts, and ways of organizing society and the economy that are traceable to (1) the ethical monotheism of the Ancient Hebrews, adopted by Christianity, which implied that man, as God’s creation, has inherent worth and dignity, and (2) the tradition of rational inquiry, indispensable to science and technological progress, that began in Ancient Greece.

Much of Western civilization is distinctive, and several of its essential features are unique: a belief in progress and even, at times, in humanity’s perfectibility; a Promethean faith in man’s ability to harness nature; a strong emphasis–greater than in other civilizations–on individual rights and the inviolability of individual conscience; and a belief in moral principles, grounded in nature and discoverable through reason, that are timeless, absolute, and universal.

To be fully educated, students should know what Western civilization has given to America and to humanity. In practical terms, this means mandatory courses in Western history, philosophy, and literature. Without having at least some knowledge of these, American students cannot function as informed citizens in a country arguably superior to the various dictatorships in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East–themselves reflections of civilizations very different from Western civilization.

This does not imply that America is perfect. But to effect change, students must understand the history of their own civilization and society.