Western civilization was the child and product of reason—via ancient Greece.
In all other civilizations, reason has always been the menial servant—the
handmaiden—of mysticism. You may observe the results. It is only Western
culture that has ever been dominated—imperfectly, incompletely, precariously
and at rare intervals—but still, dominated by reason. You may observe the
results of that.
The conflict of reason versus mysticism is the issue of life or death—of
freedom or slavery—of progress or stagnant brutality. Or, to put it another
way, it is the conflict of consciousness versus unconsciousness.