Remarks

From the perspective of world history, we can distinguish between culturally contextual works, which appeal to the specific circumstances, cultural narratives, and unique characteristics of a culture at a particular moment in time without transcending it, and enduring (or non-contextual) works, which go beyond those specifics and resonate timelessly with the entirety of human existence. By “enduring works”, I mean timeless creations of art, music, poetry, sculpture, architecture, philosophy, science, mathematics, literature, religious and political texts, and so on. These latter works possess an objectivity that cannot be reduced to any one culture or time.

The distinction above is understood as purely matter-of-fact. Contextual works, though tied to a specific culture, still possess intrinsic value. In the first place, they are works of a culture and find value within that culture. They reflect the uniqueness of the culture and its existence. They also remain of enduring interest (that is, as historical artifacts) to historians, anthropologists, and to anyone seeking to understand the passage of history and the nature and differences between cultures. However, the distinct nature of enduring works lies in their ability to transcend the culture from which they emerge, even as they serve as examples of it. For instance, while the geometric contributions of the Babylonians and ancient Greeks are products of their respective cultures, they are by no means confined to them. They transcend their origins, becoming the shared possession and inheritance of all humanity. 

Similarly, the philosophy of Confucius, the epic poetry of Homer, the architecture of ancient Rome, are all expressions of their respective cultures. Yet, their relevance extends beyond their origins. The teachings of Confucius have had, and continue to have, a profound influence on Eastern societies and beyond; Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are regarded as foundational literary texts; Roman architecture has shaped modern infrastructure. These works exemplify how certain cultural products transcend their origins to become part of the collective human heritage.

What makes works enduring is their transcendent and objective nature, having a significance that extends beyond the specific contexts in which they were created. Such works are not merely valued because of historical continuity—since that continuity is often disrupted—but because they undergo a continuous process of reception and reinterpretation. Each generation rediscovers these works, reconfiguring them in ways that reveal their intrinsic value anew. Their timeless relevance lies in their ability to speak to fundamental aspects of human experience, intellectual inquiry, or aesthetic beauty, making them perpetually open to new insights and interpretations.

For example, The Republic of Plato, Shen Zho’s Poet on the Mountaintop (shown below), and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos are continually reexamined and appreciated in new contexts. Their value isn’t limited to their original historical or cultural significance; rather, they reveal layers of meaning that resonate with different times, places, and intellectual traditions. This capacity for renewal—where each generation finds something fresh and profound—demonstrates the inherent depth and universality of these enduring works. It is through this ongoing engagement that their transcendent nature is not only preserved but actively revitalized.

One might, of course, object that the supposed objectivity and transcendence of certain works are merely apparent features, shaped by historical circumstances rather than inherent qualities. While a work may gain prominence because of its value, it often owes its lasting influence more to the historical dominance of the culture from which it originates. For example, the works of the Romans, ancient Chinese, or Egyptians rose to prominence in part because these civilizations held considerable power at specific moments in history, pushing their cultural products to the forefront. Their dominance on the world stage ensured that their artistic, scientific, and intellectual achievements became widely disseminated, regardless of whether those works were intrinsically superior to the creations of other, less dominant cultures.

This raises the concern that what we perceive as enduring or transcendent is often the result of historical relations of power. The works of a thriving culture are more likely to be preserved, studied, and revered, creating a kind of feedback loop where the victors of history perceive their own creations as having lasting value. Hence, the idiom applies here—history is written by the victors. The achievements of less powerful or subjugated cultures may be overlooked or forgotten, even if they hold comparable or greater intrinsic worth. Thus, the claim that certain works transcend time and culture may mask the reality that such value is in fact tied to historical forces rather than any objective or universal qualities.

In response, there is indeed some truth to this claim. Dominant cultures will tend to value their own works and ascribe enduring significance to them. However, this fact does not necessarily undermine the argument or the distinction between contextual and enduring works. History shows that even when one culture is dominant, there is often an appropriation of elements from other, often subjugated, cultures—particularly those elements that are recognized as having enduring value. The Romans, for example, appropriated Egyptian artifacts, Greek art, and even Greek philosophy and science, incorporating them into their own cultural legacy. Despite their military and political dominance, the Romans deeply admired and assimilated the achievements of the Greeks, tacitly acknowledging that certain Greek works transcended their specific cultural origins and held universal significance.

This process of cultural appropriation suggests that even when a culture is victorious, it can still be influenced—and even dominated—by the cultural works of those it subdues. In such cases, the conquered culture exerts a kind of intellectual and aesthetic supremacy over its conqueror. The Greek influence on Roman civilization, or the way in which Greek philosophy impacted Western thought, exemplifies how the so-called “conquered” can, in fact, become the “conqueror” in the realm of ideas, art, and culture. The continued admiration and adoption of these works across time indicates that their value is not merely a product of historical dominance but points to qualities that transcend specific cultural contexts.

The issue with the objection is that it sees power relations as the primary, if not the sole, mechanism through which the evaluation of culturally enduring works operates. This perspective stems from a particular view of culture that relativizes ideas and works of art to the dominant powers that shape history, reducing cultural products to mere reflections of place and time. Yet, there is no compelling reason to adopt such a starting point. We might instead argue that certain creations of a culture possess an intrinsic objective value that transcends the circumstances of their origin, even as they emerge from and are shaped by that culture.

Starting from this perspective, we can consider that, throughout history—especially across long stretches of time—those cultural products that reappear, are revived, and are appropriated by later societies often do so precisely because they possess enduring value. Far from the idea that dominant cultures simply glorify their own creations, we find that cultures often recognize and adopt works from other traditions, acknowledging their intrinsic worth. 

This suggests an alternative explanation of the origin of enduring works. It points to the idea that certain work can have an inherent and transcendent value that compels their appropriation and preservation across cultures. It is not merely a case of the victorious culture imposing its own values and works, but the objective qualities of certain artifacts draw cultures to them, irrespective of their origin. Thus, the value of these works is not solely a product of cultural dominance; the works themselves, by virtue of their objective merit, play a central role in shaping what is valued.

The objective value of cultural products acts as a force unto itself, guiding cultures toward the recognition and preservation of certain creative works. This value need not be dependent on the approval or endorsement of any particular culture but may instead exist within the work itself. Whether it is a philosophical text, a piece of art, or a scientific discovery, the work is valued for what it is, not merely because of the historical circumstances that initially brought it to prominence. This intrinsic value ensures that enduring works command recognition for their inherent qualities, existing independently of cultural and historical preferences and contexts.