《從黎明到衰落：西方文化生活五百年》是西方文明史大師巴爾贊(Jacques Barzun)晚年的明志之作，也是一生智慧之作，以其百科全書式的知識，博雅融通的識見，道盡西方五百年文化生活起跌宕轉折的精彩事蹟。書中既展現西方文化的性格，也體現作者的性情和對文明前景的一份憂心。要進入文明史領域，有如跌入一張文明之網，通常範圍龐大，網絡錯雜。法國史家吉佐(Francois Guizot)說：「文明史是範圍最廣的歷史，它無所不包」，布勞岱爾(Braudel)則指出；「文明是所有故事中最漫長的篇章」。這說明文明涉及複雜龐大的政治、經濟、社會、文化、思想、軍事、物質、器物，甚至個人的情感與生活等面向，涵蓋綿長的歷史時間與廣漠的地理空間。
因此文明史的書寫（如教科書）往往顯得厚重繁複，不易近人。巴爾贊此書雖卷帙浩繁，但避去了不易近人這一難處。其題材的取捨、解史的觀點、敘述的方式，皆興味獨到，有別於一般文明史教科書或通史的書寫。誠如他所說本書是為喜歡閱讀藝術、思想、風俗、道德、宗教及社會背景者讀者而寫。其書透徹、易曉、措辭優美，沒有晦澀的術語，沒有教科書式的嚴肅，以述說故事、細數掌故的口吻，娓娓道來西方社會觀念、思潮的演變以及文化遺產的創生和積累的進程，勾勒諸多思想家、文學家、藝術家、宗教改革者、政治革命家的性格、稟性、才具以及如何創造文化典範，改寫社會規則的精彩歷程和影響效應。循著五百年的藝術、科學、宗教、哲學、社會思想的輪廓，藉此展示這段時期西方人如何為世界帶來了一套思想和建制，並提煉出自文藝復興以至二十世紀西方思想轉折的精華，展現五百年來西方文明生活多彩豐饒、波瀾壯闊的景觀。
巴爾贊撰寫此書，有其初衷和隱憂，最終指向西方文明究竟會走到什麼地步？過去的文明盛景還留幾許？繁華是否落盡？由此問題出發，追溯文明史的書寫大抵有幾個關注面向：文明衰敗論、文明支配論、文明衝突論。如湯恩比（Toynbee）的《歷史研究》(A Study of History)，史賓格勒(Spengler)的《西方的沒落》(The Decline of the West)，視文明為一個有機體，有其起源、生長、衰敗和解體的歷程，兩人關注的是西方文明如何由盛而衰的過程。弗格森(Ferguson)的《文明》(Civilization: The West and the Rest)以及伊安˙摩里士(Morris)的《西方憑什麼》 (Why the West Rules—For Now)關注的是西方文明何以支配全世界？其關鍵要素是什麼？新興的東方/中國是否開啟新的時代？西方現在還有優勢嗎？杭亭頓(Huntington)的《文明衝突與世界秩序的重建》(The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order)關注的是不同文明之間的衝突如何對世界和平造成威脅，而建立起立基於不同文明的新國際秩序則可能是避免戰爭最好方法。文明的衝突同時也挑戰了西方的主宰地位，質疑推翻了原來被視為放諸四海而皆準的西方價值和理念。巴爾贊此書大抵承續湯恩比、史賓格勒的擔憂，一方面彩繪璀燦的西方文明發展圖像，另一方面則點出西方文明逐步陷入停滯、衰落的困頓局面。文明的下一步該如何走，當代文明是進化還是退化，西方之外的其它文明在當代如何發展，與西方形成什麼關係？這些課題，巴爾贊此書部份觸及，有些則留下追問思索的空間。
本書分期也與一般史書不同。主要以文化角度做為分析軸線和歷史分期的模式，並以宗教、君主、自由、社會四大革命為架構，探討這些改革的目標、激情，以及至今如何影響我們的心靈、行為和制度。計分四段時期：前三段時期各約125年，第一段，大致從路德到牛頓；第二段從路易十四到斷頭台；第三段從歌德到紐約軍退械藝術展；第四段則是二十世紀。四大階段各有其主要議題：第一階段，1500~1600年間，是宗教上應該相信什麼；第二階段，1661~1789，是個人的地位和政體的形態如何處理；第三階段，1790~1920，是社會與經濟的平等如何達成；第四段則是所有這些文明成果如何交織出今日的世界。其間涉及人文主義思想，宗教改革、啟蒙運動、法國大革命、現代政治思想形成、科學方法的發展、當代藝術興起以及二十世紀文明的轉變。
"From Dawn to Decline: Five Hundred Years of Western Cultural Life" is a work of enlightenment by Jacques Barzun, a master of Western civilization history, and also a work of wisdom throughout his life. With his encyclopedia-style knowledge and knowledge of the fusion of Western cultural life for five hundred years, it is a wonderful story of the ups and downs of Western cultural life. The book not only shows the character of Western culture, but also shows the author's temperament and concern for the prospects of civilization. Entering the field of civilization history is like falling into a civilization network, which is usually large and has a poor network. French historian Francois Guizot said: "The history of civilization is the most extensive history, and it is not included," Braudel pointed out, "Civilization is the longest chapter of all stories." This explains civilization involves complex political, economic, social, culture, ideas, military, materials, objects, and even personal emotions and life, covering a long historical time and a vast geographical space.
Therefore, writings of the history of civilization (such as textbooks) are often heavy and complicated and not approachable. Although this book is voluminous, it is difficult to avoid the difficult accessibility. Their subject matter is unique, the views of history, and the way of describing it are all different from general civilized history teaching and science books or general history writings. As he said, this book is written for readers who like to read art, thought, custom, moral, religious and social background. Its books are thorough, easy to describe, and beautiful, without obscene art, and without the strictness of teaching and science books. It tells the story and detailed storytelling tone, and tells the story of Western social concepts, the evolution of thoughts, and the creation and intensive process of cultural heritage, outlining the character, nature, talent, and how to create cultural patterns of many thinkers, literary scholars, artists, religious reformers, and political revolutionaries, and outlining the wonderful process and influence of many thinkers, literary scholars, artists, religious reformers, and political revolutionaries. Following the five hundred years of art, science, religion, philosophy and social thought, we can show how Westerners brought a set of ideas and institutions to the world during this period, and bring out the essence of the revival of literature and art to the 20th century Western thought, and show the colorful and magnificent scenery of Western civilized life over the past five hundred years.
Barzhang wrote this book with its original intention and confusion, and ultimately pointed out how far Western civilization will go? How many of the past civilizational scenery will be left? Is the prosperity going down? As a result of this problem, there are generally several focuss on writings that trace the history of civilization: the argument of civilization decline, the argument of civilized domination, and the argument of civilization conflict. For example, Toynbee's A Study of History and Spengler's The Decline of the West, the visual civilization is an organic body with its origin, growth, decline and dissolution. The two people are concerned about the process of how Western civilization declines from prosperity. Ferguson's Civilization: The West and the Rest and Morris' Why the West Rules—For Now focus on how Western civilization can dominate the world? What are its key elements? Will the new East/China open a new era? Are there any advantages in the West now? Huntington's "The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order" focuses on how conflicts between civilizations threaten world peace, and establishing a new international order based on different civilizations may be the best way to avoid war. The conflict in civilization also challenged the dominance of the West, and suspected overturned the Western values and ideas that were originally regarded as being open to the world. Balcon This book generally follows the grief of Tonbi and Sphere. On the one hand, it paints colorful images of the development of Western civilization, and on the other hand, it points to the dilemma of Western civilization gradually falling into a dilemma of stagnation and decline. How should civilization go next? Will contemporary civilization evolve or degenerate? How will other civilizations outside the West develop in the contemporary era? What relationship does it form with the West? These topics, Barr talks about this book, and some leave room for pursuing and thinking.
This book is also different from general historical books. It mainly analyzes the model of axis and historical periodization from a cultural perspective, and uses the four major revolutions of religion, monarch, freedom and society as the framework, to explore the goals and passions of these reforms, and how they have affected our spirit, behavior and systems so far. It is divided into four periods: the first three periods are about 125 years each. The first period is roughly from Luther to Niutton; the second period is from Louis XIV to the Blade; the third period is from Goethe to the New York Army Retired Art Exhibition; the fourth period is from the twenty-century. The four major stages each have their main topics: the first stage, between 1500 and 1600, is what religiously should be believed; the second stage, 1661 and 1789, is how to deal with the status of the individual and the form of the political body; the third stage, 1790 and 1920, is how social and economic equality is achieved; the fourth paragraph is how all these achievements of civilizations convey the world today. It involves humanistic ideas, religious reform, Mongolian movement, French Revolution, the formation of modern political ideas, the development of scientific methods, the rise of contemporary art, and the transformation of 20th century civilization.
巴爾贊(Barzun, Jacques)，《從黎明到衰落：西方文化生活五百年》（北京：中信出版社，
2013）
Barzun, Jacques, "From dawn to decline: Five Hundred Years of Western Cultural Life" (Beijing: CITIC Publishing House,
2013)
| 評分項目 Grading Method | 配分比例 Grading percentage | 說明 Description |
|---|---|---|
| 課堂報告和出席課堂報告和出席 Class Reports and Attendance |
25 | 每週安排同學負責閱讀材料之摘要報告（注意結構完整，重點清晰，表述精當）和閱讀心得，並提出問題（注意問題意識掌握與提問方式），除嘗試回達所提問題外，也帶動全班討論。A4一頁，報告當天書面繳交。請勿無故缺席課堂報告。不定期點名，出席率列入平時成績計算。 |
| 平時作業平時作業 Normal operation |
25 | 每位同學需就各週之指定教材，任選六篇撰寫閱讀心得，期中考前和期末考前各繳三篇，每篇A4一頁左右書面繳交。 |
| 期中考試期中考試 Midterm exam |
25 | 申論題（不得攜書考試） |
| 期末考試期末考試 Final exam |
25 | 申論題（不得攜書考試） |
