Modern World History
Connect the Dots From Past to Present
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Unit 1: Week 1
Read this section for Week 1 (after class Sept 1, prior to class Sept 8)
"It is now in vogue to celebrate non-Western cultures and disparage Western ones. Some of this is a much-needed reckoning, but much of it fatally undermines the very things that created the greatest, most humane civilization in the world."
-- Douglas Murray, The War Against the West
-- Douglas Murray, The War Against the West
In the chill of battle, we forged a grand narrative about Athenian democracy, the Magna Carta, Copernican revolution, and so on. Plato to NATO. Western culture was, at its core, individualistic and democratic and liberty-minded and tolerant and progressive and rational and scientific. Never mind that pre-modern Europe was none of these things, and that until the past century democracy was the exception in Europe – something that few stalwarts of western thought had anything good to say about..
Critics of western culture, producing a photonegative emphasising slavery, subjugation, racism, militarism, and genocide, were committed to the very same essentialism, even if they see a nugget not of gold but of arsenic.
-- Kwame Anthony Appiah, The Guardian
Critics of western culture, producing a photonegative emphasising slavery, subjugation, racism, militarism, and genocide, were committed to the very same essentialism, even if they see a nugget not of gold but of arsenic.
-- Kwame Anthony Appiah, The Guardian
What are Some of the Defining Features of Western Civilization?
Liberal, Representative Government
The highest manifestation of this ideal is the US government. It was greatly influenced by Enlightenment ideals and intentionally crafted as a representative democracy with checks and balances and limitations on governmental power in order to preserve the rights of as many people as possible and prevent tyranny. Research has shown this form of government does the best job of preserving the lives of its citizens.
Rule of Law
Western countries operate under the rule of law, not arbitrary decrees or diktats from a ruler or government authority. The most humane and fair law codes in the world are those of western nations, which are rooted in Roman law and English Common law, including the landmark Magna Carta that made the king subject to the same laws as everyone else. These systems ensure that laws are clear, fair, stable, and applied to everyone equally under a fair judiciary and enforcement is carried out while preserving human rights. For example, in western countries, the government can't arbitrarily surveil citizens unless there is a specific reason to believe the person has committed a crime and a judge has issued a search warrant. In non-western countries, it is common for the government to extensively surveil the entire population
Rights: Freedom of Religion
An individual's right to freely choose their own religion, or none at all, was won after centuries of wars and millions of lives lost. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 marked an end to the European wars of religion and a new era in which sovereign nations chose a dominant religion for their nation-- without interference from other European nations-- yet subjects could practice their religion of choice whether or not it aligned with the state's religion.
Rights: Free Speech, Debate, & Assembly
Western countries are known as free countries in part because their citizens can freely speak out to criticize the government. This right is cherished because it is a standout feature of the west, unheard of in most other nations in history. It's far more typical for rulers to severely punish anyone who criticizes the ruling authorities and is still common today. This western tradition began in ancient Greece where free speech was a very important part of public discourse. They and the Romans held in high regard the practice of oration, persuasive speech, and debate. Free speech is less formal today but is still of the utmost importance. Freedom of assembly allows people to come together to express or pursue their common interests or ideas. The US Constitution guarantees free speech more broadly than any other.
Free Market Capitalism
Capitalism has been shown to be the best at generating economic growth. More people have been raised up out of poverty under capitalism than any other economic system. Under capitalism, buyers and sellers negotiate in the open market for goods and services, without government or other outside intervention or coercion. The result is a flexible and responsive economic system that encourages innovation and protects against shortages or excess production due to misguided centralized control. Capitalism is highly criticized for multiple reasons especially the charge that the rich take advantage of the poor and working class. Winston Churchill, UK Prime Minister, responded to capitalism's critics: "capitalism is a terrible system, except compared to all other systems."
Rights of Equality, Freedom, Life, and Property
In western countries, citizens are equal under the law (so the rich and powerful are held to the same standards of justice as everyone else) and society tends toward improving equality of opportunity for all citizens. The Enlightenment thinkers articulated natural rights that belong to everyone and cannot be taken away. John Locke argued that slavery is unnatural because no one can give away their right to freedom. Quakers and Protestants argued that slavery is immoral and repugnant to God. That view led to the west's abolition of slavery. The west's fierce defense of property rights, with roots going back to the 10 commandments' admonition "thou shalt not steal," starkly contrasts with Communism's prohibition of private ownership.
Reason, Logic, and Rational Thought
Reason, logic, and rational thought have been foundational pillars of Western civilization, shaping its development and progress for centuries. These principles underpin the scientific method, democratic governance, and the rule of law. They have led to groundbreaking discoveries, technological advancements, and the Enlightenment's principles of individual liberty and human rights. Reason and logic foster critical thinking, enabling societies to solve complex problems, adapt to changing circumstances, and build a more just and prosperous world. In essence, they are the intellectual bedrock upon which the enduring values and achievements of Western civilization have been built.
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Unit 1: Week 2
Read this section after class on Sept 8, prior to class on Sept 15
US President Teddy Roosevelt
This is an excerpt from President Teddy Roosevelt's speech at the Sorbonne Academy in France in 1910. His topic is "Citizens in a Republic." He speaks to the French leaders about things that they all--being leaders in free, western republics (not authoritarian dictatorships)--have in common.
"Today I shall speak to you on the subject of individual citizenship, the one subject of vital importance to you, my hearers, and to me and my countrymen, because you and we a great citizens of great democratic republics. A democratic republic such as ours—an effort to realize its full sense government by, of, and for the people—represents the most gigantic of all possible social experiments, the one fraught with great responsibilities alike for good and evil. The success of republics like yours and like ours means the glory, and our failure of despair, of mankind; and for you and for us the question of the quality of the individual citizen is supreme.
Under other forms of government, under the rule of one man or very few men, the quality of the leaders is all-important. If, under such governments, the quality of the rulers is high enough, then the nations for generations lead a brilliant career, and add substantially to the sum of world achievement, no matter how low the quality of average citizen; because the average citizen is an almost negligible quantity in working out the final results of that type of national greatness.
But with you and us the case is different. With you here, and with us in my own home, in the long run, success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, every-day affairs of life, and next in those great occasional cries which call for heroic virtues. The average citizen must be a good citizen if our republics are to succeed. The stream will not permanently rise higher than the main source; and the main source of national power and national greatness is found in the average citizenship of the nation."
"Today I shall speak to you on the subject of individual citizenship, the one subject of vital importance to you, my hearers, and to me and my countrymen, because you and we a great citizens of great democratic republics. A democratic republic such as ours—an effort to realize its full sense government by, of, and for the people—represents the most gigantic of all possible social experiments, the one fraught with great responsibilities alike for good and evil. The success of republics like yours and like ours means the glory, and our failure of despair, of mankind; and for you and for us the question of the quality of the individual citizen is supreme.
Under other forms of government, under the rule of one man or very few men, the quality of the leaders is all-important. If, under such governments, the quality of the rulers is high enough, then the nations for generations lead a brilliant career, and add substantially to the sum of world achievement, no matter how low the quality of average citizen; because the average citizen is an almost negligible quantity in working out the final results of that type of national greatness.
But with you and us the case is different. With you here, and with us in my own home, in the long run, success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, every-day affairs of life, and next in those great occasional cries which call for heroic virtues. The average citizen must be a good citizen if our republics are to succeed. The stream will not permanently rise higher than the main source; and the main source of national power and national greatness is found in the average citizenship of the nation."
Freedom of Speech
In Athens, Any Citizen Was Allowed to Speak in Public;
Free Speech Is A Cornerstone of Western Culture
Free Speech Is A Cornerstone of Western Culture
Legacy of the Western World: Free Speech
The western liberal world order established that free speech is essential to human liberty. It is so important that it's in perpetual jeopardy.
Those who seek to limit free speech assert that they're protecting people from "violent words" or dangerous misinformation.
Is this legitimate and justified? What does history reveal? How is free speech being contested today?
Those who seek to limit free speech assert that they're protecting people from "violent words" or dangerous misinformation.
Is this legitimate and justified? What does history reveal? How is free speech being contested today?
- Calling for Election IntegrityOfficials declared the 2020 election the most secure in US history yet millions of citizens disagreed and exercised their first amendment right to bring their grievance to the government. Wildly opposing stories emerged ranging from 'insurrection, attempted overthrow of the government' to 'mostly peaceful protest' to 'government entrapment of Trump supporters.'
- Advocating for Medical FreedomDoctors and health advocates demand freedom from mandated Covid 19 measures. Their facts and opinions are banned from media and social media, government authorities improperly silence them, the medical boards and institutions threaten them, and the DOJ declared that Covid misinformation is the greatest threat to the United States, effectively labeling them domestic terrorists.
- Demanding Social JusticeCharges of police brutality following George Floyd's death were the rallying cry from Black Lives Matter protests across the US in spring of 2020. Local government officials suspended Covid restrictions on large gatherings specifically for these protests, but not for other, constitutionally-protected rights. Media universally reported "mostly peaceful protests." Damages exceeded $1 billion.
- Defending Human RightsBasketball player Enes Kanter Freedom calls out China for putting a million Uighur Muslim citizens in concentration camps, occupying Tibet, threatening Taiwan, and using political prisoners for forced organ haresting. This puts him in conflict with the NBA who refuses to acknowledge China's human rights violations because their business with China is very lucrative.
Representative Government
Athenians Used Pottery to Exile Bad Government Representatives; Today We Use the Ballot Box to Unseat Them
Legacy of the Western World: Representative Government
The western liberal world order established that people have intrinsic rights to participate in their own government by electing representatives and structuring the government to limit the concentration of power.
- Citizens in a PandemicCovid 19 brought a massive challenge to the world. It was a chance for western civilization to shine. Did it? Some believe the west led the way to pandemic recovery by creating a vaccine that saved millions of lives and enabled society to return to normalcy. Others see the west violate its foundational principles of freedoms which are not supposed to be suspended in times of crisis or emergency. They saw unprecedented authoritarian measures that shook citizens to the core: Emergency powers, mandates, suspensions of freedoms, censorship, and more. Both groups feel driven apart by polarising opinions that amped up blame, accusations, and tribalism.
- Liberty vs. TyrannyWestern nations are based on representative government. The US Constitution was a model by other new republics as they set up their own governing documents. The US Constitution created a representative government with limited powers, 3 separate branches of government, and checks and balances among them in order to reduce the possibility of tyranny and protect the rights of as many people as possible. Meanwhile, some have discovered ways to circumvent limitations on their power, use the wealth of the country to enrich themselves, or use the country's might and power against the people themselves. "When the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny."
- The People's ChoiceAn imperative feature of representative government is accuracy in capturing citizens' votes. Some are concerned with making it easy for all voters to vote. Some believe non-citizens should be allowed to vote. Some are concerned with the vulnerability of voting systems' technology. Others see problems with out-of-date voter rolls, the pitfalls of mail-in ballots, or outright fraud. It is essential in representative governments for people to feel confident that the people are indeed legitimately making the choice of who represents them, but doing that is easier said than done.
- National SovereigntyEurope in 1648 signed the Peace of Westphalia which was, in part, established each country's own sovereignty. The Monroe Doctrine had a similar function. The World Wars were spurred by nations forming alliances with each other to protect their national interests from outside threats. Today we see supra-national, global powers such as the World Economic Forum and the World Health Organization who some believe are attempting to place themselves over sovereign nations, usurping the power of the citizens to make their own choices for their nation. Others support the efforts of these think tanks and NGOs, viewing them as benevolent leaders in charting a course for the future and protecting people from the "next pandemic."
Freedom of Religion
Europe's Religious Wars Ended in 1648,
Granting Freedom of Religion to States & Citizens
Granting Freedom of Religion to States & Citizens
Legacy of the Western World: Freedom of Religion
The West Protects the Rights of Individuals to Choose and Practice Their Own Religion--Or None--Without Government Interference and Prohibits the Government from Discrimination Based on Religion
- Compatibility of ReligionsThe West's freedom of religion was conceived in a Christian context. What would the Enlightenment thinkers and founders of western thought conclude when confronted with the multicultural, multi-religion society of the west today? Can the western liberal world order effectively operate in this new society? What is the path forward when all citizens are guaranteed freedom of religion but the religious precepts of different religions conflict with each other?
- Government-Mandated IdeologyWhile western countries can't force religious belief, some people argue that certain secular worldviews imposed by governments--which define moral and immoral behaviors and beliefs--have the same coercive effects as religions. What rights do citizens have to refuse a government-mandated ideology that contradicts their religion or personal conscience?
- Post-Christian WestThe West is descended from European Christian nations; Europe was also known as "Christendom." Post-Christian refers to places where Christianity is no longer the dominant cultural force; where it now coexists with secularism, environmentalism, woke ideology, or something else. This affects the underlying values, the community's social fabric and social contract.
- Post-Human / Trans-Human WorldThe west's Judeo-Christian foundations see humans as being made in the image of God and therefore human life is sacred, and the human body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That attitude carried through to non-religious members of western societies. Secular Humanists believe that life matters, humans matter. Transhumanism extends that to imagine how technology can be used to further evolve humans to eliminate aging, and greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capabilities. How does that fit with Judeo-Christian roots?
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Unit 1: Week 3
Read this section after class on Sept. 15, prior to class on Sept 22
Legacy of the Western World:
Unprecedented Economic Growth Through Capitalism
Unprecedented Economic Growth Through Capitalism
"Throughout history the average person lived in extreme poverty. The destitution of the common man only changed with the onset of economic growth" which occurred as capitalism was established. "Economic prosperity was only achieved over the last couple of hundred years. In fact, it was mostly achieved over the second half of the last hundred years. The world economy has moved from a zero-sum game to a positive-sum game. This made it possible that when people in one place became richer, other people in other places could become richer at the same time."
- Entrepreneurship Opens Economic PossibilitiesUnder capitalism, entrepreneurship is a fundamental driver of economic opportunities. It encourages innovation, job creation, competition, wealth generation, and market expansion, contributing to overall economic growth and prosperity. It empowers individuals to create their own economic destinies and can have positive effects on society as a whole.
- Capitalism Elevates Prosperity for All"A rising tide lifts all boats." Capitalism helps raise the standard of living and economic conditions for a broad range of people. Capitalism, with its emphasis on private ownership, entrepreneurship, and free markets, has a track record of fostering economic growth, creating jobs, generating income, and contributing to the overall economic expansion of a country. This growth can lead to a larger economic pie for everyone to share.
- Consumers Exert PowerFor example, consumers organize boycotts against companies for unethical or objectionable practices, express their demand for new, innovative products, influence pricing by refusing to by overpriced products or show willingness to pay a premium for exceptional products. This is the antithesis of a planned economy in which there is centralized, state control of what products get produced and how they are priced.
- Lorem IpsumBask
For all of human history, virtually everyone was very poor. "The only truly important event in the economic history of the world is the onset of economic growth" since capitalism began. In the last 10 or 20 generations, the average person's income increased about 15 X--astounding!
