... It is possible to inherit a great civilization without possessing the will to defend its ideals:
Mr. Armstrong is firmly on the side of the popularizers. Unlike many intellectuals, who resent any linking of wealth and culture, he sees the two as intimately connected, but they need to be integrated, he says, since wealth by itself does not compel admiration. Thus he looks for "the sweet spot where luxury and spiritual prosperity meet." In no age was this more the case than in the Renaissance, which went back to classical times for the best in literature, sculpture and architecture and confidently built upon it with the riches of a newly mercantile age. "What is striking," Mr. Armstrong finds, "is how well money was spent."
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