The Story of Civilization, Book 10
By: Will Durant, Ariel Durant
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
Series: The Story of Civilization, Book 10
Length: 57 hrs and 21 mins

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the 18th century, centering on the life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the historical environment leading up to the French Revolution. As this is a fair massive tomb and I’m familiar with many of these elements I’ll focus on the highlights.

This work serves as an excellent companion to “Crucible of War,” which I read earlier this year. While “Crucible of War” offered a focused perspective on the French and Indian War, particularly from the North American angle, this book delves into the diplomatic maneuvers that reshaped the European continent. It notably covers the realignment Prussia allied with Britain with the Treaty of Westminster in 1756 and the end of the the long running French–Habsburg rivalry when Austria and France signed the Second Treaty of Versailles in 1757, which realigned European powers. This conflict, spanning various continents, could indeed be considered one of the first “world wars.”

Rousseau’s ideas, such as the noble savage and the social contract, were concepts I was acquainted with, but this book provided a richer context and deeper understanding of their implementation during that period. I was particularly intrigued by Rousseau’s methods of conveying his philosophies, not solely through dense treatises but also via “novels,” albeit ones that differ significantly from modern expectations of the genre. Moreover, the book sheds light on the reception of Rousseau’s ideas at court, underscoring his role as a countercultural figure. His discussions on noble savagery prefigured later intellectual movements and philosophies, resonating with the ideals of Thoreau in the 1800s and the countercultural revolution of the 1960s.

Trying to summarize all of the elements is challenging, so I will refrain from going into detail here. I would say that this book gave me many new perspectives that I appreciate and look forward to exploring further in the future.