The Fate of Empires —— Being an Inquiry Into the Stability of Civilisation

----- 帝国的命运

ISBN: 9781331897064 出版年：2016 页码：241 Arthur John Hubbard Forgotten Books

Wherever you are, this book takes you to an armchair, puts you into a smoking jacket and creates the impression of a discussion in distinguished salon.A voice from the past speaking directly to the present about sex, drugs and society. Arthur John Hubbard discusses the rise and fall of the great empires of the past from the Orient to ancient Rome with a refreshingly brusque tone. The Fate of Empires is for those seeking guidance from antiquity on what causes the fall of great civilisations and what enables them to rise. Questions, that are every bit as new and contentious today, plagued Hubbard and spurred him to ask incendiary questions about what societies need, what individuals want, how we think of ourselves and what role (if any) religious belief and reason should play in the stable and lasting society. Does divorce disintegrate society? Does abortion erode families? Is it more beneficial to emphasise social or filial piety? Is patriarchy useful for social cohesion? For Hubbard’s take and that of our greatest ancestors, read on. The author describes with emotion and insight, the wishes and hopes as well as the suffering of the Chinese, Roman and Greek people and immersing oneself in his work is a pleasure in an age where we often forget the insights of the past. A wild mixture of arch tradition and free thinking, Hubbard will have you rallying behind him and railing against him. Prepare to wrestle with your own feelings about instinct, reflex and reason and the way that they pull powerful empires to their knees.