This brief history of culture fully participates in the rare virtue that truly wise books possess: it conveys, in an intelligible way, love and interest in the history that its title promises us. The first thing Gombrich asks himself is: what is the history of culture and how is it written? His controversial response stimulates our intellect and puts us on guard against any a prioriism: culture is not, as many have claimed, a unique formula, but rather a basically creative and integrative knowledge, which goes beyond and annuls closed compartments.
This brief history of culture fully participates in the rare virtue that truly wise books possess: it conveys, in an intelligible way, love and interest in the history that its title promises us. The first thing Gombrich asks himself is: what is the history of culture and how is it written? His controversial response stimulates our intellect and puts us on guard against any a prioriism: culture is not, as many have claimed, a unique formula, but rather a basically creative and integrative knowledge, which goes beyond and annuls closed compartments.