Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 The Implication of"Culture" 1
1.2 What is Western Culture? 13
1.3 The Synopsis of Culture Studies 20
Chapter 2 Ancient Greece and Rationalism 27
2.1 The Origins of Ancient Greek Culture 27
2.2 Cultural Prosperity in Ancient Greece 35
2.3 The Spirits of Ancient Greek Culture 37
2.4 Major Cultural Achievements 42
Chapter 3 Ancient Rome and Roman Law 56
3.1 The Rise of Ancient Rome 56
3.2 The National Spirits of Ancient Rome 65
3.3 Roman Law and Roman Religion 68
3.4 Rome's Other Contributions 79
Chapter 4 The Middle Ages and Its Cultural Merits 84
4.1 The Concept of the Middle Ages 84
4.2 Cultural Sources of"European Ideas" 89
4.3 Social and Cultural Stages 93
4.4 Major Cultural Achievements 98
Chapter 5 Medieval Christianity and Theology 120
5.1 Features of Christian Culture in the Middle Ages 120
5.2 Christian Culture in the Early Stage 122
5.3 Patristic Philosophy and Augustinianism 131
5.4 Christian Culture in the Late Stage 137
5.5 Scholasticism and Thomism 145
Chapter 6 The Renaissance and Its Cradle in Italy 152
6.1 The Concept of the Renaissance 152
6.2 Features of European Society in the Renaissance 155
6.3 The Cradle of the Renaissance in Italy 164
6.4 Literature and Science in the Italy Renaissance 173
Chapter 7 The Spread of the Renaissance and Humanism 181
7.1 The Renaissance in English 181
7.2 The Renaissance in Spain 189
7.3 The Renaissance in Germany and France 192
7.4 Manifestations of Renaissance Humanism 199
Chapter 8 The Enlightenment and Its Center of France 207
8.1 Cultural Traits of the Enlightenment 207
8.2 Ideologies of the Enlightenment and Its Significance 213
8.3 France,the Center of the Enlightenment 217
8.4 Ideologies of the French Enlightenment 224
Chapter 9 The Scottish Enlightenment and Its Succession 238
9.1 Scotland,the Other Center of the Enlightenment 238
9.2 The England Enlightenment 251
9.3 The German Enlightenment 258
9.4 The Enlightenment in America 268
Chapter 10 The Growth of Capitalist Culture in the West 275
10.1 A Survey of Capitalism in the West 275
10.2 Capitalist Culture in Europe 282
10.3 American Capitalist Culture 294
References 304