We should accept the truth of history, which is that white men have dominated intellectual life in the west. Let's not resist this; let's run with it. It is western history that has indelibly shaped our consciousness. We live in Britain, not Timbuktu. We might hail from Africa or the Caribbean, but our lives, for better or for worse, are lived in the modern western world, and shaped by the traditions that have moulded it. If we acquaint ourselves with the grammars of the west, it will indubitably help us to understand it and then duly succeed here.
– In praise of dead white men ”“ Prospect Magazine « Prospect Magazine (via Instapaper)
