The Wreck of Western Culture

Rod Dreher introduces this book by John Carroll

Mr. Dreher writes:

I'm intrigued by Carroll's assertion that the Aborigines were right: when a culture no longer believes the stories it tells about itself, when a culture ceases to be able to sustain what Richard Weaver called its "metaphysical dream," it begins to die. Weaver, you'll remember from "Ideas Have Consequences," said the turning point in the death of the West was the victory of William of Occam over the Schoolmen, and the resulting loss in belief in transcendentals. It sounds crazy, given the efflorescence of cultural energy and achievement released over the next 500 years. But if Carroll is right, we've reached the end of the road, as we were destined to, having abandoned our belief in the Western metaphysical dream.

I think Weaver was wrong on this point, even though it has been repeated by orthodox Catholics--all are looking for an -ism to blame for the decline of the West. Rather... I'd look at the splitting of Christendom, the weakness of the Church and the loss of evangelizing power, and the accumulation of power by secular princes, to the detriment of the Church and of the common good.