The Middle Ages and the Birth of Europe - Essay Example

The Middle Ages and the Birth of Europe Name Course Name and Code Introduction The immense power of Europe is wholly derived from the Middle Ages through the modernity period. The distinction and definition of human life and other systems that govern life were established during this period. Europe has vast global impact mainly because of modernity and medieval ages; for instance it has been established that it is only in Europe that through Renaissance humanist coupled with modern philosophers and scientists that rational thinking came into play substituting the numerous intellectual activities that were under vast influence of conviction, religion and superstition (Berger, 1985). Another critical factor that influenced the rise of Europe is colonization; starting as early as in the age of discovery, Europe created an association that was exploitive particularly between European nations and their colonies. This paper seeks to establish that European modernity has often defined itself against the medieval period. The paper discusses different aspects of modernity including characteristics of modernity, modernity as hope, modernity as doom, and the conditions of a modern self. An inherent definition of modern, modernism, and modernization are also provided. Discussion Modernity basically refers to post-medieval historical period, post-traditional; this period is marked by the transformation from feudalism/agrarianism to industrialization, capitalism, rationalization and the formation of nation states together with their constituent institutions and their surveillance forms (Delanty, 2007). Advocates of modernity associate it with the experience of life in towns and urban metropolis together with the immense effect that art has to capture that experience. It is argued that during the modernity age various momentous changes in attitude, technological improvements, and dramatic historical process occurred. This period is estimated to be between 1500 and 2002. This is approximately 500 years of social, political, historical and cultural development. Historians and other spectators of modernity mainly focused on the developments in Western Europe to define and discuss modernity. These studies were later spread to Eastern Europe, America, India, Africa, Southeast Asia and Asia through colonialism followed by globalization (Delanty, 2007). The advances in modernity surfaced in the 16th century when Europe began gradually to spread around the world. In the 15th century the humanists commenced writing about their own time as the Renaissance which in turn resulted into the Middle Ages (Delanty, 2007). This period distinguished them from the classical antiquity that they initially intended to emulate and appropriate. Renaissance is said to be the starting point; it strongly emerges from the modern moment of history when Western Europe began to establish itself. In this regard, this moment culminates into a notion of modernity that eventually resulted into today’s’ history. For instance some socialists and historians argue that no modernity no history. In essence, modernity is directly linked with the modern era and modernism; however, it forms a distinct concept. The terms modern and modernism are also discussed below. Modern is derived from the Latin word modo, which implies the now circumstances as opposed to the past traditions; it came to light in the medieval period where traditional values in artistic works and thoughts were in contest with the contemporary ones (Hollister, 1964). From the medieval ages, the term modern usually describes the state of affairs that were characterized with distancing from the past through innovation and experimentations. Modern can essentially mean all the activities of the post-medieval European history; this history can be divided into three large categories: Antiquity, Medieval, and Modern. Consequently, the term modern is used to describe the Euro-American culture that came into play after enlightenment and culminated into the present. Modernization on the other hand explains and describes the rapid rise in Europe and America mainly because of their powerful tendencies of manifesting advances particularly in science and technology coupled with the development of nation states, the democratic political systems and the extensive increase in capitalistic modes of production. Modernization is not only associated with the values of humanism and enlightenment but it also discusses colonialism and the European imperialism as the spread of modernization propagates itself around the world from the west. Modernism is a term used to describe certain trends in writing, art, criticism and philosophy that had vital influence on the experiences and developments in the 20th century (Hollister, 1964). These trends originated from the last decade of the 19th century to around the start of the Second World War. Modernism describes a wide variety of art and textual phenomena that had a massive influence on the way we think and experiences we encounter in our world today (Hollister, 1964). The critiques of the 19th and 20th centuries plaid a significant role in shaping the current world; similarly, the literary and artistic trends like those of impressionism, post-impressionism and symbolism cannot be left out. The international and transnational phenomena are well described by modernism. Through modernism cities became the meeting points for migrating groups. Early Modern is a phrase used to describe the conditions of Western Europe history from the mid of the 15th century to early 17th century; this is the period when Europe discovered the moveable type and the printing press. This period is also associated with the evolvement of enlightenment. Accordingly, early modern or the medieval ages are characterized by the rise of nation state, growth of tolerance as a political and social belief, industrialization and the emergence of socialist countries (Barker, 2005). Equally, during this time, the rise of mercantilism and capitalism, discovery and colonization of the Non-Western world, the rise of representative democracy and the increased role of science and technology were experienced. Urbanization, mass literacy, proliferation of mass media and the Cartesian and Kantian distrust of tradition for autonomous reason were also encountered during these medieval ages (Barker, 2005). During the 19th century modernity was also spiced up by the following facets; the emergence of technology and social science; Early Existentialism and romanticism, evolutionary thinking about theology, biology, politics and social sciences are some of the facets that came into play in the 19th century. Furthermore, the naturalistic approach to art and description, the start of modern psychology, the growing disenfranchisement of religion and emancipation were occurrences of modernity and in the medieval ages. Characteristics of Modernity The field of sociology has made unending strides to try and understand the concepts of modernity. Following these efforts, a wide range of terms have been used to describe the social life, society, symptomatic mentality, and other defining characteristics of modernity. For instance, modernity is characterized by: bureaucracy; the social hierarchies that exercise division of labour associated with common methods and procedures (Giddens, 1990). The disenchantment of the world; this is the loss of metaphysical and sacred or spiritual understanding of all facets of life and culture. Rationalization; modernity believes that the world can be managed and understood through logical and reasonable system of objectively accessible theories and data (Berger, 1985). Through modernity virtually all aspects of life are reduced to objects of monetary consumption and exchange a process known as commodification (Giddens, 1990). People also tend to alienate themselves, for instance, they isolate themselves from the system of meaning like the family, religion, clan and meaningful work. Modernity also experienced the removal of social practices, cultural objects and beliefs from their original local culture (Hollister, 1964). Nationalism is yet another characteristic of modernity; the rise of the modern nation states as rational governments that are centralized which often cross over ethnic and local groupings (Berger, 1985). The mass movement of people, cultural centres together with political influence to large cities (urbanization) is as another vital feature of modernity (Hollister, 1964). Universalism; the application of ideas across all cultures notwithstanding the local distinction is also one of the features of modernity. Consequently, the belief that something can be understood entirely by studying its specific parts that make it up; the reductionism ideologies also are facets of modernity. Modernity is also associated with the mass growth of societies that are united by the mass media together with the enormous dissemination of cultural practices contrary to local and regional culture specifics (Giddens, 1990). The rise of the industrial society; those societies formed around the production industries and distribution centres. The increased formation of political systems that are associated with free elections, independent judiciary systems, the adherence to the rule of law and the respect of human rights are true characteristics of modernity (Alsayyad & Roy, 2006). Contrary to this, modernity also led to the formation of totalitarian systems; government systems that suppress the free expression and political dissent but involved in propaganda and indoctrination of its nationals or citizens. Therapeutic motivations for instance, the knowledge that human self is as a result of evolutionary desires coupled with understanding that the self must be helped in order to achieve those desires as opposed to ethical integration or pursuit of public virtue (Alsayyad & Roy, 2006). For a comprehensive understanding about modernity is normally achieved by comparing the modern societies and the pre-modern societies. From the characteristics of modernity explained above it is evident that we have opposing forces like individualism vs. nationalism, democratization vs. totalitarianism (Kennington, 2004). However, all these are features of modernity in this regard there is reason to believe that each of the facets discussed above is a result of the modern world. The contrast in characteristics of modernity can be associated with the dissimilar aspects of modernity as a process (Kennington, 2004). Specific local cultures are in one way or another invaded and lost due to the increased mobility of cultural elements like folktales, hit songs, and recipes that are as a result of cultural homogenization across different localities (Gay, 1998). The centralized bureaucracies together with hierarchical systems of firms and governments consolidate power in unprecedented manner that in most cases lead to the totalitarian forms of the current societies (Kennington, 2004). Accordingly, individuals have the ability to move in these social subsystems thus exhibiting a sense of liberty, dynamic competitions and being individualistic for others. This is particularly evident when making a comparison between the modern society and the pre-modern societies; for instance, the family or clan from which an individual is born shapes his/her life to a great extent. Modernity as hope, modernity as doom Modernization resulted into undisputed benefits for humanity; for instance, decreased rates of infant mortality and decreased human deaths from starvation. Consequently, the latter resulted into eradication of major deadly diseases, liberalized and equal treatment of people regardless of their backgrounds and levels of financial incomes. Advocates of modernity argue that much is yet to be achieved. For instance, the rational and scientific approach to solve human problems together with the continued pursuit of economic wealth indicates that there is still much to be attained. The social development proceeds are not yet satisfactorily accomplished. Contrastingly, modernity and modernization as a whole has numerous disadvantages that are trivial to humanity. Sociologists have established that technological development has been furthered not only in the medical and agricultural fields but also in the military (Campbell, 2003). The devastating atomic, nuclear, biological bombs and other high end military weapons that have been used during war time have immense and drastic impact to humanity (Campbell, 2003). For example, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing during the world war two coupled with the race for nuclear weapons after the war is one of the dangerous downsides of technology. In this regard it is lauded that rational organizations and rational thinking of the society can involve exclusion or extermination of non-standard aspects (Alsayyad & Roy, 2006) . Another disadvantage of modernization is environmental issues; prolusion of the environment has culminated into a decrease in biodiversity and climate change. The improvements in biotechnology together with genetic engineering are regarded as the origin of some unknown dangers to humanity. Modernity critics have also evidently pointed out the psychological and moral hazards of the modern life including; individualism and loss of strong bonds and common values, alienation, hedonism, and disenchantment of the world (Campbell, 2003). There is un-diminishing gradual decrease in human dignity; human nature and thus the loss of values in humanity are as a result of modernity. A section of sociologists argue and suggest that the final outcome of modernity will the loss of stable conception of humanity. The conditions of a modern self People in the modern setting as presumed by modernity are autonomous and seek to reject the claims of tradition, authority and community. The modern self also search for individual therapy that will result into subjective experience of wholesomeness/well-being (Kolakowsi, 1990). The human beings of the modern setting have moved from emphasis on redemption of character to liberation from inhibitions of the society (Gay, 1998). Consequently, the desire of identity is self-constructed through the consumption of products. Also, the true, the good and the beautiful are undiscoverable and thus they are judged top un-applicable to human experience (Gay, 1998). The nature of Western Individuality; human identity from a western perspective shows that the uniqueness of a person signifies his/her essential reality (Kolakowsi, 1990). This setting also dictates that all individuals are supposed to be free. From the western understanding; human beings are responsible for their own actions, but only for their actions. Similarly, a person’s subjective experience of the world is real by definition. The western understanding also argues that people posses certain rights over and against collectives. And ultimately, individuals are responsible for creating and develop themselves (Gay, 1998). The above understanding of modernity does not explicitly give us the answer to what led to the rise of Europe particularly Western Europe (Barker, 2005). Europe has immense global influence as a result of modernity and medieval ages; it is only in Europe that through Renaissance humanist together with modern philosophers and scientists that rational thinking came into play replacing numerous intellectual activities that were under vast influence of conviction, religion and superstition. Colonization is another factor that has strongly contributed to the rise of Europe; beginning as early as in the age of discovery, created a relationship that was exploitive mainly between European nations and their colonies (Barker, 2005). In addition, the evidently and commonly observed characteristics of modern societies like the nuclear family, gender roles, slavery, and nation states don’t expressively define the rational social organization where individuals are treated equally (Barker, 2005). Although these feature made an impact, however, histories have established that they are not essential characteristics of modernization, but they make an important part of it. Conclusion In summary, the rise of Europe is completely anchored in the middle ages following the events and activities of modernity. The post-medieval historical period, post-traditional; this period is marked by the transformation from feudalism/agrarianism to industrialization, capitalism, rationalization and the formation of nation states together with their constituent institutions and their surveillance forms. These events fully characterize modernization process; modernity propagated the individualistic ideas. For this matter, some of characteristics of modernization include: bureaucracy, disenchantment of the world, secularization, alienation, commodification, individualism, nationalism, urbanization, universalism, reductionism, industrial society, mechanization, totalitarianism, and therapeutic motivation. The increased global influence of Europe is as a result of modernity and medieval ages; socialists argue that it is only Europe that through Renaissance humanist together with modern philosophers and scientists that rational thinking was discovered substituting the numerous intellectual activities that were under significant influence of conviction, religion and superstition. The individuals in the modernity setting desire identity in a self constructed manner. The western perception of an individual views a person as someone who has freedom, responsible and accountable for his acts, and they posses certain rights over and against collectives. Bibliography Alsayyad, N. and Roy A. 2006., Medieval Modernity: on Citizenship and Urbanization in Global Era. Retrieved on 19/5/2013, from: http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic822683.files/Alsayyad_Medieval%20Modernity.pdf Barker, C. 2005. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. London: Sage. Berger, P. L. 1985. "Western Individuality: Liberation and Loneliness," Partisan Review 52. Campbell, T. 2003 The Quiet Revolution: Decentralization and the Rise of Political Participation in Latin American Cities. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. Delanty, G. 2007. "Modernity." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by George Ritzer. 11 vols. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing. Gay, C. M. 1998. The Way of the (Modern) World: Or, Why It's Tempting to Live As If God Doesn't Exist. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Giddens, A. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Stanford: Stanford University Press Hollister, W. 1964 Medieval Europe: A Short History. New York: John Wiley & Sons Kennington, R. 2004. On Modern Origins: Essays in Early Modern Philosophy, edited by Pamela Kraus and Frank Hunt. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books Kolakowsi, L. 1990. Modernity on Endless Trial. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Read More