The right side of history : how reason and moral purpose made the West great

America has a God-shaped hole in its heart, argues bestselling author Ben Shapiro, and we shouldn't fill it with politics and hate. In 2016, Shapiro spoke at UC Berkeley, requiring hundreds of police officers for protection as he addressed the necessity of free speech and rational debate. He contends that Western Civilization faces a crisis of purpose and ideas, rooted in the belief that every human is made in God’s image and possesses reason to explore the world. These values have fostered science, progress, human rights, prosperity, and artistic beauty. Jerusalem and Athens shaped America, ending slavery, defeating totalitarian regimes, and lifting billions from poverty while providing spiritual purpose. They underlie key historical documents like the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence. Civilizations that have rejected these foundations have crumbled. The USSR, for example, abandoned Judeo-Christian values for a utopian vision of “social justice,” leading to mass suffering. Similarly, the Nazis and Venezuela’s regime illustrate the dangers of discarding these principles. Shapiro warns that as we embrace moral subjectivism and individualistic hedonism, we risk our civilization's collapse into tribalism. He calls for a return to the moral purpose that unites us for the greater good, presenting a stark warning and a call to action for the future of our society.