"What Went Wrong?" by Bernard Lewis

Paper Summary:

The paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the book "What Went Wrong: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East" by Bernard Lewis. The paper examines how Bernard Lewis, a respected author and expert historian who has written on a variety of historical topics, presents the argument that Islam has gone terribly wrong in modern times, and that after medieval times, the Islamic world began a decline in power, learning, the arts, and economy that the region has never been able to regain. The writer explains that Lewis shows the Middle East has almost always been torn by war and strife, and that the modern Middle East suffers from many ills that lead Muslims to anger, dissent, external and internal warfare, and economic despair.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the text, he shows his understanding of the Arabic world and her peoples, even down to their lack of modern time and measurement technology - simply because it is not exceptionally necessary in their world. The author writes, "Apart from prayer, there were few other activities that required even approximate timing. This was a society in which there were no parliaments, councils, or municipalities, and the conduct of public business required no kind of schedule" (Lewis 122). This is just one example of how Western technology, so very desirable in the West, was often unnecessary in the East, and technology and advances began to pass the Muslim Middle East by."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Lewis, Bernard. What Went Wrong: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

More papers on "What Went Wrong?" by Bernard Lewis:

• Book Review # 98507 : "Islam and Modernity"
• Analytical Essay # 25055 : "What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response"
• Analytical Essay # 144864 : "What Went Wrong in the Muslim World?"

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