Western Civilization

Western acculturation Beginnings to Present Although Western goal has been positiond by both(prenominal) Christian and profane determine cross appearances the course of time, the Wests primary refinement is to achieve economical supremacy, using Christian and secular philosophies, as well as colonization and technical innovation as means to achieve this goal. Of the features that define western culture, the nigh unique is democracy. Originating in sure-enough(a)-fashioned Athens, democracy created a sense of pride in ones g everywherenment which, in after spit outf atomic number 18fared centuries, would evolve into nationalism.In Athens, democracy earmarked the masses to oblige a say in their politics, furthering the unification of their empire and olibanum strengthening it. Out of this democratic world came round(prenominal) of the worlds oldest philosophers, including Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates who ch bothenged the world around them and seek to rationali ze it with mathematics and fifty-fifty proposed the predilection of elements. It was this foreignness and curiosity that would be harnessed on a much greater scale in the prescience, which would eitherow Europe to flourish.As their Greek neighbors had in front them, Rome in addition adopted a democracy in clubhouse to unite their people after a tyrant king Tarquinius and pr stock-stillt placing the control of their nation into the pass of one gentleman, which would eventually allow Rome to widen and connect with the trading routes of the silk roads. Even after the roman letters republic, Julius Caesar, as the front emperor of Rome, would do whatsoever means necessary to ext arrest the borders of Rome as far as he could to obtain benefit headway from war. This suggests that papists were to a greater extent than c erstwhilerned of the profits to be make by the war than the democratic beliefs that defined their giving medication.The romans were overly tolerant of to a greater extent holinesss as long as they paid taxes for keeping their religions suggesting that money and riches was much(prenominal) important to them than having everyone follow one religion. This was certainly square as Christians emerged in Rome, up disciplineting the local Jewish population who paid taxes to the state, with child(p) them leverage towards the papistic politics to persecute them. This however arrested as Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity in the fourth nose candy A. D. As emperor Constantine saw that it would be to a greater extent in force(p) to stop persecuting the Christians and accept them to avoid some opposite civil war, he ecame a Christian. This was only the expire as Christianity get around finishedout the European unmingled and Emperor Theodosius established it as the official religion of Rome in 380. This proved especially practiced for the empire as it allowed Rome to be governed during its greatest extent. When Rome offici al fell in 476 to the vicious tribes of the Germanic region, Christianity was the uniting factor as the mutationny house of local groups seek to hold office. Out of this highly-developed a complex feudal schema comprised of lords, vassals, and serfs along with the power and wealth of the Catholic church service.The Catholic perform demanded enormous amounts of money from the people as they sought redemption in times stricken with the dusky Death and famine olibanum allowing the monasteries to emerge as the source of riches and the Church as the largest straight-lacedty owner in all of Europe. As the Churchs power grew towards the first millennia, and had sucked the wealth from nearly all of its local citizens, they desired to find the holy land. nonwithstanding the first commandment of thou shall non withdraw and the Christian obstetrical delivery close together of turn the former(a) cheek, the Crusades were some of the bloodiest battles in European narration.T hese crusades, although against Christian ideals, provided a big amount of wealth for Europe and reconnected them to both their Hellenic history and the Silk Road trading ne iirk, furnishing them with a immense source of economic profit. As the Catholic Church go on down this path of non-Christian ideas including penance, a consecrate monk by the name of Luther sought to cast off the church back onto the path of Christ. This however was not favor fit for the Churchs income and they eventually excommunicated Luther from their church.Luther was not approximately to give up however and his ideas spread quickly with the development of the printing press concisely before, weakening the Catholic Churchs contend on the citizens. This combined with the reunification of Europe and their Roman history, led the people of Europe to a more(prenominal) questioning mindset, further weakening the Church, and eventually starring(p) them to the enlightenment. The enlightenment is the flow ing in western history from the early 1600s through the 1700s as the medieval church world scenerys stepped aside for revolutions in science, politics and philosophy. The Enlightenment was a ime when the opinions and ideas of the Church, which were formally in charge of both the economy and the government of Europe, were challenged through a more secular point of view brought about by the scientific revolution and integration of foreign cultures by the age of exploration. The secular beliefs of the enlightenment were more beneficial for European economic affairs in the proud Middle Ages because, with the age of exploration underway, there was galore(postnominal) an early(a)(prenominal) foreign ideas entering Europe and having a more secular governmental and ideological system would be more accommodating and accepting of outside constitution allowing for wear out trade. besides the enlightenment view was very in line with the discoveries of the scientific revolution allowing the inventing process to be spurred on. Some of the key inventions of the scientific revolution admit the magnetic compass, lateen sails, and advanced map do technologies which allowed for the Spanish to cross the Atlantic Ocean and nettle the the Statess. The lateen sail and compass too allowed for better navigation to the Indian Ocean trading nedeucerk, an intrinsic source of wealth for the Europeans as they began their climb to economic supremacy.In 1492, once Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue was the blood line of a new era in the history of the world. His discovery marks the beginning of Colonization and imperialism as the Spanish and cut began exporting scores and tons of silver from modern day South America and trading it to China for their silk, porcelain, and tea commodities. But silver was not the sole source of economic power received from the colonies, they were in akin manner great places to build plantations and thus the slave trade began.The trans-Atl antic Slave trade was when millions of Africans were ruthlessly taken from their homes and shipped to the Americas in horrid conditions. In general, the cruelness of the slave trade goes specifically against the Christian values of Do unto others as you would realise them do unto you, and other t apieceings of Christianity which shows how the economic benefits that came through the slave trade was generous for them to ignore the defining factor of European culture for the past five hundred years to make some coin.This overlooking of Christian values was best-selling(predicate) throughout the people and as Frederick Nietzsche said beau ideal is dead signified the end of the Churchs power in Europe as it became replaced with pecuniary lust. As Europeans spread across the globe and began forcing their way into the Asian countries it became a vital part of Indian Ocean commerce and as they established ports and colonies in India, China, and Japan they began to bring with them an i dea of imperialism. Europeans came about this idea as they became an economic power nearly all- night in world commerce and they were also fitted to coerce ideas onto older, existing cultures.In Europe, nationalism drove many spring chicken explorers to go on expeditions for buried treasure and biblical references equal the Ark of the Covenant or the tend of Eden. Imperialism, or the overseas extension of nationalism, led many European explorers to believe, despite the Christian belief of bankers acceptance of every race, that they were better than anyone and everyone else especially as they became the civilization that defined success and advancement in the world. This overextension of nationalism would end up bad however for the Europeans as it would cause cultural blinders and then revolutions as was the incase of the Sepoy Rebellion.Imperialism would prove very beneficial for the Europeans Economy as it encouraged individuals to charge more for products because nationali stic view said that European gold was deserving more than Foreign gold, making individuals demand more for their products. Also Imperialism encouraged the establishment of many colonies throughout Asia and the Philippines giving them massive amounts of silver, making them economically superior. Back in Europe however, rises in nationalism led to competitor between the European states and the division of Europe into both major groups of alliances.Western elaborationSometimes, it is very subdued to read hold ups about the functions of the real people who were able to overcome the crux in their own sleep withs. The harder their challenges and difficulties were, the more entertaining it will be for the readers. We tend to be impressed with people who were able to write an neb of their between vivificationtime and death experiences and how they almost die. However, we invite the tendency to forget how hard it big businessman be for them to write down their own story of sadd le sore and much worse if their tragical experience was only when the beginning of a worse condition.The two authors in the books that are departure to be analyzed and compared in this paper had the courage to relate their own experiences and mortification as a Jew during World War II for the world to witness and remember the beastlyity of the War. They both endured the pang as they recall the ache they had been through and put them in writing. They narrated how serene and promising their lives were before the World War in the abode with their families. However, the war had ripped them with every amour that could cave in included themselves.They were traumatized by massive and brutal deaths of people, their loved ones included. The two authors were the protagonists of their books. It was based on their first hand experiences during the war. If we are going to analyze the two books, we would buzz off an idea how brutal the Nazis were and how tragic the Holocaust was. The fir st book was a narration of the true experiences in the Holocaust in the perspective of a Transylvanian son as he witnessed the brutal death of his family members and how it gained an impact in his trustfulness and his vivification.On the other hand, the other book describe the same event on the perspective of a Czech daughter who lost her family and lucky replete to be able to escape and return to her hometown in Prague. The only subject was her escape in that war did not destitute her. It needly opened the entrance that led her to another war and another torture she had to bear (Kovaly). If we are going to compare accounts of two authors, we first need to consider the background of each author. We have to identify the compelling forces in their lives that gave a b make for in their works.The first book was high born(p) Night, which was written by the author Elie Wiesel. He began his story by describing his town in Sighet, his family and himself in the year 1942 when he was only twelve years old. He had three sisters and his dad was a shopkeeper and a venerated Jewish leader. Their family was deeply religious as a matter of fact, Elie was enthusiastic in accomplishment the dogma of their religion. He wanted to learn more and he had a very deep trustingness in immortal (Wiesel). However, this changed when the Germans arrived and captured their land in 1944. scorn the early warning of a person who survived and witnessed the ill-treatment that the Jews contrisolelyeed in Poland, his townsmen did not heed. Rather, they simply make fun of him. It was year 1944 when they regret not to take proper consideration of the admonition given by the old man. The Germans invaded their land and moved all the Jews out of Sighet to constriction cliques in Auschwitz. The Germans were cordial at first however suddenly issued a decree that they should be impounded and transported into ghettos and tightfistedness camps. They had no idea on what would happen next.It would have been a blessing if they would be killed immediately to spare them from torture and misery. However, it was an ardent intention of the Nazis to impose agonies to these religious people as oblige by the leader, Adolf Hitler. They were treated like animals as they were beingness transported to the compactness camps. When they reached the reception center, Elie was permanently separated with her mamma and sister since they were directed to the gas chamber. He was remaining only with his father. Inside the camp, they were forced to witness how the fair babies where ruthlessly burned and thousands of people crying in despair.It was his first night in the camp alone it make an indelible mark on Elies heart. It was the night that he doubted Gods reverence. That night, he thought that his God also died. It was the night that change state his optimism and enthusiasm for life. At a very young age, Elie witnessed the cruelty of life and that he is comely a tiny speck of wo rthless being who had to shift hunger, oppression and injuries in order to survive. He was once a very religious student whose life at that time depended on the whims of the Nazis. His virtues changed.His idea of retaliation against anybody who would threaten to hurt his family changed and turned into his despair to live. His fretting changed as he suffered blows and fought to live. His main concern that was previously focused on God deviated to anything that could sate his stomach. In the camp, they were identified not with their name solely with their number to signify perhaps that their lives do not matter, they are just mere numbers. He did not look up at his father as a blessing because they are still living but a curse, a burden that exponent cause him his life.The hard work and inhuman conditions made him deny God (Wiesel). Their canalise to another camp in Buna attendd another challenge to Elie. He had changed. His divinity had already died and hanged in the gallows. He was beaten and his pain no longer mattered. Days and nights do not have any difference nor death and life. It was this transfer that he realized his fathers worth because the latter was separated from him. They had to work hard in order to live. This was the last camp they had been before they started the most painful certify. It was the march that separated Elie permanently from his father.It was the march that forced a son to leave his engaging father. It was the march that disadvantaged them of regimen and water and were even mocked by the guards A lot of prisoner killed even their own kin just for a routine of bread. Out of the hundred prisoners who marched, only a 12 survived and reached Buchenwald where his father finally died of dysentery and sever beating from the police officer and other prisoner. It was the climax of Elies senses. It was weeks before the aid arrived and he could be finally branded as Holocaust Survivor. This was the end of the World War II and the end of this book.However, this period was only the beginning of the other book (Wiesel). The other book, Under the Cruel track A life in Prague 1941-1968, the author narrated her life as a Jew in the Lodz camp. Her name was Heda Margolius Kovaly. Albeit they were in a different country and ghettos, their religious assent brought them into similar fate in the ghettos. Heda and her family were sent to Lodz ghetto. She was also separated from her family and needed to bear the abomination of the spends in the camp. She was of the same age as Elie at that time, still an adolescent, supposedly devoid to the atrocities of the world. same Elie, she witnessed massive deaths, injustices and forced labor. When the Russian troops approached, they were also forced to march. Unlike Elie, Kovaly was very fortunate to have a chance to escape and return to her fatherland in Prague. However, much to Hedas dis may, this was not the end of her torment sort of, it was just the advent. The citi zens of Prague were scared and refused to provide help, simply because they are Jews. Even her relatives and non Jew friends were apathetic towards her condition because they, too, were shitless to suffer the beatings from a Nazi.The war was coming to an end and she was already in Prague, her home town. Supposedly it should serve as a citadel for her to soothe at last the pains that she suffered during the war. Unfortunately, it was not (Kovaly). However, one well-grounded thing that happened to Heda after this war was a present of hope that finally a gush of tranquil wind will finally blow over her. She was able to reunite and later marry her privileged Rudolph Margolius. Like Heda, he also survived the concentration camps and the war itself. He was a very virtuous man with a lot of ideas about his country and Prague in particular.He back up reform and believed that the principles of the Nazi were the exact opposite of Communism so he delayed the principles of Communism and t hought that it would be effective government systems that will help his countrymen develop after the ravages of the war. He was able to get a good credit line in the government as the communist government rose into power. However, this actually marred the supposedly smart ending of the couple. This stock actually took his life when he was accused of conniving with an enemy of the Communist government. It was the system that he supported that accused him of being a traitor.Everything would have been perfect if the Communist party had not risen into power and condemned her husband and separated him from her incessantly. Things were made worse because they had a son, Ivan Margolius, who was growing up at that time. Heda was forced to make a living to support her son. However, the incident deprived her and her son the right to live a normal life. Since her husband was an enemy of the Communist State, she was deprived of the privileges to get a decent job to raise her son nor was s he allowed to be helped by others without twinge the consequences from the Communist government.No matter how her friends in Prague would have wanted to help her and her son, they were scared of the repercussions just like when the Nazis were still in their land. They were forced to live life in poverty. They were treated like lepers that were needed to be isolated. Despite all this kindly persecution, she fell in love again and remarried Pavel Kovaly. However, it seems that she was born with so much bad luck that whoever would lend a hand to help her would also suffer failure.Because of what happened, her new husband, who had a very promising life story ended up having a bad temper just because of his affiliation with Heda. In the book, Hedas miseries and unremitting struggle lasted for more than xx years. When the social had done for(p) worst, she was able to escape again and finally live peacefully in the United States. That was the end of her book and the end of the war in her life. This book was devote to her son who was clueless with the persecution of his father and the agony of her baffle (Kovaly).These two books actually presented the two victims and survivors of war in different perspectives. They both believed in the same God and the same doctrine. It was the same religion that led them to concentration camps. They both had the ardent desire to overcome whatsoever challenges that would come their way. One magnified and illustrated the turmoil wrong the concentration camp and the genocide of the Jews, while the other placidly illustrated her agonies during the war when she lost her family and yet survived just to face another war that took her beloved out from her.They were all torn by the war. They were all innocent victims of abusive government and capricious rulers. The titles of these two books were sooner similar in a sense that they all compare their experiences with darkness. The first one was even title Night (Wiesel), to describe that one long night of unbearable nightmare that altered his life forever while the other one denotes the cruelty of the stars that deprived her of any light to guide for more than twenty years of her life in Czechoslovakia.It was a saga of continuous struggle for better life but their struggle simply ended up into another saga fill up with tears and bitterness. The courage of these two authors to consider their tragic and humiliating experiences to reveal the truth about the inglorious of the war was so incomparable. It is not easy to share how tragic ones life was, but these two authors made the difference in bringing the truth about what happened during those times.If there is one thing that their books reflected, that would be their determination to overcome whatever bulwark that would come their way. They did not resolve to self-pity. They struggled to move on even if they do not know what the next brings. They did not stop when they lost their loved ones. Instead, they continued and embraced life no matter how difficult it may seem. Their books reflected tragedies and misfortunes in ones life are not enough reason to give up. No matter how heavy our burden in life could be, still, life must go on.Western Civilization(1) It has always been the power struggle that led people to revolt. Developments in horticulture were not enough to cater the whole French nation, especially in the cities, because the pathetic has always sufferred. Despite the advancement in agriculture and the use of modern agricultural techniques and expected annex in food supply, the prices of the food was still going up. Why? Because it was only more foodrather than a fairer distribution (Brown, 2003, p. 24) which means the eclogues has still to crowd their luck to survive in the cruel world.Thus, peasant unrest in 1789 eventually came into view with so much oppression of the little. To end constant riots and demonstrations, the politics during that time believed that the unretentive can be set aside disallowing them to cast their votes and making them cultivate food commence for the wealthy. Even the constitution that time discriminates poor by putting so much stress on individual private property monomania at the expense of any right of the poor to subsistence (Brown, 2003, p. 24). The unrest in 1789 was an incident where agriculture vie a major role.Without farmers efforts to provide food in the urban areas, or if the crop these farmers tilled produce a bad harvest, the effects were simply devastating skyrocketing food prices, unemployment, and chaos. (2) There was so much developments in the eighteenth deoxycytidine monophosphate Europe leading to acquisitions of non-homogeneous colonies by different European nations. Not determine prior developments, even the 15th and 16th century Rennaissance and Reformation, this eighteenth century alone has been a remarkable era.Who could imagine Napoleon defeated? And it happened in this period and i t begins and ends with the frustration of an attempt to dominate the Continent by its leading power, and between lie the events which brought about the French Revolution and its aftermath. (Cowie, 1963, p. 1) Europeans way of life during that period might be varied but they all have shared a long history together and similar longings and thus more often than not, result the good things that can be found in each other.For the Englishmen, they had freedom from having their passions done, especially the freedom to mouth and write and this was viewed as a favorable thing not only to themselves but to other nations in the continent. The same principles apply with the French chaateaux and its admirable tastes. And how about the Europeans impositions to have colonies? These were obviously laid out in the Treaty of Utrecht and in the Treaty of Vienna. And when? Naturally, that was in the 18th Century Europe