The Idea of Cultural Heritage (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781009474948)

The concept of cultural heritage evolved to preserve important objects and practices, in peacetime and during conflict. It now justifies export controls and government regulation and provides the background to moral claims to valuable works of art and architecture. In this new edition of The Idea of Cultural Heritage, Derek Gillman provides an updated overview of both long-standing and more recent controversies over cultural things. In the last decade, these have been further charged not only by accelerating calls for the repatriation of materials from Western museums to countries of origin, but also by institutional acknowledgement of European colonisation, and the reimagination of displays at museums and historic sites. Using cases from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, Gillman provides a critical analysis of whether cosmopolitan or nationalist concerns should take priority in adjudicating cultural disputes, mapping the heritage debate onto positions in contemporary political philosophy and reframing it within a discussion of basic values.

Author: Derek Gillman
ISBN-10: 1009474944
ISBN-13: 9781009474948
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/02/2026
Pages: 260
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d