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Shows like "Civilisation" are based on a notion of high culture - to uphold some things above others; the rationale for something being "high" tends to be flimsy. It's a cultural meme - not necessarily bad or good, but highly opinionated and in a way that embeds itself deep into our psyche. Recognition of this kind of notion was the entire point of pg's "What You Can't Say."

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Ironically, this specific notion of high culture has become the epitome of "What You Can't Say."

The history of Western art, literature, and science in the post-ancient world possesses more than enough justification for anyone to call it "high" culture.

If you can't make value judgments about Mozart, Michelangelo, or Shakespeare, that's simply a tragedy.

I strongly recommend Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life."

To take a direct shot at relativism: I think it's quite possible to justify the West over the last 500 years as the most productive era for art and science in all of human history up until now.

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