Salvatore Settis (Il Futuro del Classico, 2004) changed radically the traditional concept of Greek culture created by the German classicists of the XIX century. Instead of the idea of an isolated independent Greek world, self-sufficient, where the famous miracle happened, S.Settis shows that since early times Greeks were very curious about foreigner cultural traditions. Moreover, Greeks recognized and assimilated knowledge from older civilizations. This perspective debunked the supposed superiority of modern European civilization based on the false idea of an Old Greece that never existed. From the Old Greek perspective, βάρβαροι are simply and just those who don't speak Greek, and not at all uncivilized people. This new paradigm of Greek Antiquity does not give anymore support to the self modern european image as the most civilized culture. The endlessly repeated expression, in schools and universities "we (modern western european) are Greek" is based on the nationalistic euphoria of the XIX century, that instrumentalized Old Greece for an ideologic purpose. Using a very strong frontal terminology, but absolutely true, S.Settis means that Greek were not racist or xenophobic. If "we are Greek" we do not underestimate the knowledge of much older civilizations like Indian or Chinese ones. On the contrary.
According to the geographic place of Greeks, they were really very curious about foreigner cultural traditions. and Greeks recognized and assimilated knowledge from older civilizations such as Arab Islamic countries, Indian and Chinese civilization. This perspective really debunked the supposed superiority of modern European civilization.
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