Medieval Universities and Modern Universities, Uprising of German Peasants - Assignment Example

The colleges disregarded physical torture because they thought that it was unfair; this is similar to modern-day universities that also ban corporal punishments on students. These colleges just like the medieval ones formulate other punishment methods such as community service.             Medieval institutions conferred baccalaureate upon students who finished their courses successfully. This is similar to the degree that is awarded by contemporary institutions.

Once students received the baccalaureate, they would then study for their doctorates if they wished to continue with their studies. The doctorate is the same as the Masters's Degree program that is offered to graduates who complete their first degree successfully.             Medieval universities are also similar to modern-day colleges in that they taught the same subjects as those of contemporary institutions. Modern universities teach medieval subjects, but they have been developed and integrated into new topics.

For example, grammar and rhetoric are taught under the English subject; while geometry, logic, and arithmetic are taught in mathematics and numerous other courses such as business and engineering. 2. The Uprising of German Peasants             The war of 1525 that was known as the German Revolt involved peasants who were fighting for their religious rights and freedoms. The peasants started this war with the aim of opposing religious oppressions from the Roman Catholic clergymen who undertreated them.

The peasants who were all Germans mainly originated from three regions in Germany; include Thuringia, Franconia, and Swabia. Although the poor Germans started the war with religious motives, their demands revolved and turned out to be economical, social, and political in addition to being spiritual.             The religious demands that the peasants presented to the state included being granted the right to preach the gospel to the public, the freedom of choosing their church leaders, and the reduction of the number of tithes that they paid to the church.

Martin Luther supported these religious demands of the peasants arguing that they would grant them equal freedom with the elite members of the society.             The peasants also fought for unreligious freedoms and rights that include the decrease of the high tax burden especially the death duty that was extremely high, the reduction of the high rents that landlords charged for houses and land, the fairness of the court system, the freedom to hunt and fish in the waters of the state, and the restoration of public land that was grabbed by the elites.

Although these demands of the peasants were significant, they did not get full support from Martin Luther. Peasants from other regions in Germany also failed to support this movement; this led to the failure of the 1525 peasant revolt. 3. English and US Bills of Rights             States formulate the bill of rights with the aim of protecting their citizens from being exploited by leaders and enabling them to enjoy their human rights. England formulated its bill of rights in 1869 by decreasing the powers of King James 11 who was misusing the authority for his own good.

The United States also created a bill of rights in 1774 after seeing the success of the English bill of rights.             The English and United States bills of rights have similarities and differences. These documents are similar in that they provide the same rights to their citizens. For example, the two offer freedom of speech, the right to vote, and the freedom of movement. Another similarity is that the two bills prevent the president and courts from interfering with voting and other activities that take place in parliament.

They argue that the parliament is an autonomous body that creates rules, hence, it needs to be free of any form of interruptions.             The two bills are also different in that the English document aims at separating powers of the country’s leaders; while the US bill of rights aims at providing its citizens with civil rights. The two, therefore, approach the bills from different perspectives. The US and English bill also differ in that the US bill takes stances on the freedoms of individuals while the English bill does not take a stand about the rights of individuals.