A Question of Values

A Question of Values is Morris Berman's seventh book of cultural history and social criticism, and his first book of essays, which were written during 2007-10. Timely and uncompromising, they range across four principal topics: American culture and politics; the human existential condition; a close look at the nature of "progress"; and some thoughts on where Western civilization, in general, is headed. These articles pull no punches regarding our current situation, and represent some of Berman's finest writing to date. He challenges his readers to rethink the accepted mainstream system of values, and argues that in the end, our problems are as ethical in nature as they are political. In the context of a value system that is rapidly turning against us, Berman's message is simple: change or die.

Morris Berman is well known as an innovative cultural historian and social critic. He has taught at a number of universities in Europe, North America, and Mexico, and has held visiting endowed chairs at Incarnate Word College, the University of New Mexico, and Weber State University. During 1982-88 he was the Lansdowne Professor in the History of Science at the University of Victoria. Berman won the Governor's Writers Award for Washington State in 1990, and the Rollo May Center Grant for Humanistic Studies in 1992. In 2000 "The Twilight of American Culture" was named a "Notable Book" by the New York Times. Other published work includes "The Reenchantment of the World" (1981), "Coming to Our Senses" (1989), "Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality" (2000), and "Dark Ages America" (2006).