Have We Broken the Golden Thread? Why the West’s Future Depends on Remembering Its Past

The West’s greatest peril is forgetfulness, its loss of cultural memory. Without knowing where we came from, how can we know what to defend, or even what to value? In an age when history itself is contested...when the past is either dismissed or distorted...The Golden Thread reminds us why the study of civilization matters. Drawing on nearly three millennia of art, philosophy, politics, and faith, Hankins weaves the story of how our ideas of law, liberty, and virtue emerged...and why they still matter in the modern world. In this conversation, James Hankins of Harvard and Michael Fontaine of Cornell delve into the urgent question of understanding our history and inheritance, to determine what traditions of the West should be kept... or discarded. We ask: Was Alexander Great because he attempted to bridge the West and the East? Should armies have foreign soldiers? What happens when there is a breakdown in trust in the judicial system? How has the Islamic world shaped the western tradition? And is religion and spirituality necessary to revive Classics? You can find James Hankins' book, The Golden Thread, Here. Michael Fontaine's latest book, How to Have Willpower , can be found here. This discussion was hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to:

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Have We Broken the Golden Thread? Why the West’s Future Depends on Remembering Its Past is an episode from Classical Wisdom Speaks by Classical Wisdom .

This episode is 99:15 long.

This episode was published on Dec 5, 2025.

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