Occident and Orient

Pearsall has an interesting post and idea for a discussion on the mammoth topic of:

What Is The West?

In my comment I suggested that

the concepts of the West (Occident) and East (Orient)are very ancient. In the relatively modern world, the West is a German philosophical-cultural idea that really began with Goethe, and developed all the way to the writings of Oswald Spengler. During the Cold War, the West was seen as a democratic adversary of the totalitarian regimes of Russia and China. in In the 21st century, the term "West" probably signifies the bond between the United States and the developed democracies of Europe, as well as their allies in the rest of the world. In spite of recurrent attempts to revive the Spenglerian idea of a West in decline, the term "West" still has a positive resonance in many parts of the world.

But there's obviously an awful lot more to be said on the subject - and that in itself is a huge understatement...

Comments to Pearsall's blog, please.