In the 18th Century a movement arose that believed that human problems could all be solved by the exercise of science and reason. This has led to enormous benefits for humankind. However, two malignant forces are threatening this advance. The first is composed of romantic intellectual and political movements-in particular fascism and communism-that arose out of the writings of philosophers and other intelligentsia in the 19th Century. The second is the epidemic of nihilism sweeping the world today. This book examines the roots of these threats to Civilization.