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The West. Topics. Intellectual history Economic history Political history Religious history. Intellectual History. Renaissance. Foundations Greece and Rome Economic recovery Ideas and pressures from Muslims Competition Growing middle class. Renaissance. Secularism - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The West
Topics• Intellectual history• Economic history• Political history• Religious history
Intellectual History
Renaissance• Foundations–Greece and Rome–Economic recovery–Ideas and pressures from Muslims–Competition–Growing middle class
Renaissance• Secularism–Fed by Crusades, Black Death,
usury• Humanism
Scientific Revolution• Foundations–Greek and Roman science–Secularism
• Key ideas–Rationalism–Empiricism–Progress
Enlightenment• Foundations–Scientific Revolution–Liberalism (which comes from good
times, and Renaissance)• Key ideas–Social science–Progress
Capitalism• Money and markets = good• Supply and demand will work–Let market set prices, everything will
work out• Laissez faire – minimum government
interference• Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations
Socialism• Capitalism creates injustice and economic
imbalance–Markets benefit the rich, but someone
has to be poor if there will be rich• Government should redistribute money for
people’s needs–Active in economy–Significant welfare
Communism• Capitalism is super evil!– It exploits the workers and turns them into nothing– All history is the history of class struggle
• Inevitably, the proletariat will revolt against the middle class– Then, we’ll have a wonderful world where there is
no private property– From each what he can, to each what he needs
• Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto
Economic History
Post-Classical Trade• Crusades– Stimulates demand for Eastern goods– Reconnects W. Europe to Silk Road
• Profit– Italian traders as middle men of Mediterranean
• Leads to– Secularization and Reformation (complaints about
usury)– Renaissance: money to spend on art
Colonial Empires• Reasons for outreach: –merchants looking for profits–fear of Muslim empires–need for gold to pay for Asian imports
• Technology enabled exploration: –better ships–compass, maps, etc.–cannons (military advantage)
Trade Imbalances• Exploit colonies–Take all, give back almost none–Exclusive trade
• Ship silver to China–Europe still the periphery–Cut out Muslim traders in the middle,
so more profit but still no exports
Mercantilism• Economic philosophy of competitive
European states• Core ideas–Self-sufficiency–Hoard bullion (gold and silver)–Zero-sum game
• Causes/reinforces creation of empires
Commercial Revolution
• Commercial Revolution –more trade, more merchants and markets–Inflation and colonial trading companies
brought profits, stimulated manufacturing–Ordinary people gained as well as the
rich, more simple goods and luxuries
Industrial Revolution
• Shift to factories and machines, not hand-made crafts• Changes economy – no more guilds,
now low-skilled workers valuable• Very capitalistic – find the cheap
labor to keep costs down, make a lot and sell it back to the workers!
World Wars• World Wars hurt economic
production–Kill workers–Destroy farm land–Shift focus of production–Cause inflation
Depression• Speculation and unstable loans–Booming 20s were a charade–Inflationary pressures
• Stock market and banking collapse• Loss of confidence, stop in spending• Deflation – no spending, no hiring• Protectionism as failed response
Post-WWII• Consumer society–We see things, we want things, we buy things,
then we buy other things–Multinational culture
• Shift to service economy–Factories are in the third world now because
Western workers are expensive• Welfare states created in most of Europe, less in
the US
Political History
Absolute Monarchs• Take complete control of society and
economy–Divine right of kings–Monopoly of force
• France, Spain, Prussia, Russia
Parliamentary Monarchs
• Share power with parliament–Usually need to raise taxes, give
power to nobles in exchange–Does not include lower classes
• England, Netherlands
French Revolution• Total political shift–Middle and lower classes work together–Mass participation (in government and
war)–First European nation to grant mass
voting rights• Spreads liberal ideas
Liberal vs. Conservative
• Liberals say– Individual rights are good–People all deserve freedom–Enlightenment was cool
• Conservatives say–Let’s not change things (don’t fix what ain’t
broke; the devil you know…)–Things are this way for a reason: rich people got
rich because they are smart
Germany and Italy• Prussia modernizes a military
machine; Bismarck guides it to victories over German princes, France, Austria; becomes independent• Cavour and Garibaldi mobilize a
nationalist following to kick out the foreigners and unite Italy
Fascism• Extreme government control of
economy, denial of rights and voting, nationalism and militarism• Effective in response to depression that
must be solved by government spending• Germany, Italy (also Japan)• Pretty much always will be evil
International Organizations
• Europe has moved beyond internal conflict to increasing cooperation–At least, conflict between countries
• Examples–League of Nations–United Nations–NATO, European Union
Religious History
Reformation• Martin Luther and John Calvin• Complaints– Catholic church too distant from people• It uses Latin, people don’t• Priests don’t talk to people
– Church too much into money• Collects and spends for luxury• Sells indulgences
– Usury isn’t a sin, its profit!• New doctrine– Faith alone, not faith and good works