La Falacia de la Civilización Occidental

In this collection of essays and lectures, liberal thinker Armando P. Ribas challenges the widespread notion of a monolithic "Western Civilization." He argues that what we call the West is actually comprised of two diametrically opposed political philosophies that are as different as "day and night."

Ribas meticulously separates the Anglo-American tradition—rooted in Locke, Hume, and the U.S. Constitution, which prioritizes individual rights and the Rule of Law—from the Franco-German tradition. The latter, stemming from Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, and Marx, established the ideal of the "New Man" and the absolute power of the State as the "divine idea manifested on earth."

Dr. Ribas demonstrates that the unprecedented wealth of one part of the world is not an accident of geography or culture, but a consequence of a specific legal and ethical framework that protects individual property and the pursuit of happiness. By exposing the "Western Fallacy," he provides a roadmap for understanding why Latin American democracies often falter under the weight of populist and collectivist ideologies.

Covering a wide range of topics—from the Enlightenment and French elections to the crisis of the modern Welfare State and the economic ideas of Joseph Stiglitz—this book is an indispensable resource for advanced courses in Political Philosophy, Comparative Government, and International Political Economy.