...Age of Faith The High Middle Ages are usually referred to as the “Age of Faith”. This reference is illustrated through the art and architecture that was solely devoted to the Christian God’s absolute glory. The Christian Church played such a central and important role in Europe during the High Middle Ages, so much so that by the end of the 11th century, nearly every corner of Europe had become Christianized. Many monumental things took place in the religion of Christianity during this period of time, for example, the great schism—the split of the Christian churches. Furthermore, the Catholic Church was very powerful. It had it’s own laws, lands and gathered taxes. In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also accepted gifts of all kinds from individuals who wanted special favours or wanted to be certain of a place in heaven. The power of the Catholic Church flourished along with its wealth, and as a result, the Catholic Church was able to influence the kings and rulers of Europe. Furthermore, if anyone tried to oppose or go against the Catholic Church in any way or form it would result in excommunication. By the 1300s, the Northern European countries had recognized themselves as the political and cultural powers of the continent. The towns and cities were doing well and progressing. Moreover, the relatively stable social order helped maintain the continent even further. By the 14th century, the people of Europe had gotten used to the luxury of having stability and prosperity...
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...“Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” Essay “Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Over time this statement has been changed and interpreted into its own meaning. Some say power does not corrupt it only attracts the corruptible, however, past events have given proof to dispute that theory. Power corrupts absolutely. This can be seen as we look back at previous leaders, for example: Louis XIV of France, Henry the Second of the Roman Empire, Katherine the Great, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Adolf Hitler. These names all have something in common, they were leaders, but unfortunately, power got to their heads and they were corrupted by their lifestyles and position of power. Some of the most brutal and powerful acts have happened when these names have been reigning over us. Given this, the point I am addressing in my essay is ‘how leaders corrupt absolutely and why’. Leadership is at its core, all about power and influence; however, there is a distinction between two types of power, socialized and personalized power. Socialized power is used to benefit others, and personalized power is used for personal gain. Most power that evolves starts out as wanting to help others but once the realization sets in that they can help themselves more, power starts to be used for personal gain. Examples of this have happened in history as dictators started out with good intentions but got corrupted absolutely because they became consumed...
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... | |describe the scientific method and its effect on Western Europe | | |distinguish between the scientists Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and Harvey and their works | | |compare the political theories of Hobbes and Locke | | |explain how science and philosophy influenced one another during the Enlightenment | | |explain the term enlightened despot, using the model of Frederick II of Prussia | | |Click here for the course glossary | | |Click here for a Timeline of The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution | | |This lesson discusses European society between 1600 and 1800--an era marked by the power of ideas and rational | | |thinking. The term Scientific Revolution is used to describe the growing acceptance and influence of the scientific| | |method and the belief that reason and inquiry can explain and even change the world. The term Enlightenment is | | |perhaps a more accurate name for this period because it incorporates a variety of intellectual movements that today| | |we do not consider sciences:...
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...Vocabulary: Goal 1 1. Historical narrative 2. Temporal structure (beginning, middle, end) 3. Time line 4. Historical succession 5. Historical duration (continuity) 6. Primary sources 7. Humanity 8. Historical passage 9. Historical perspective 10. Historical context 11. Literal meaning 12. Historical fact 13. Historical interpretation 14. Historical data 15. Hhistorical analysis 16. Cause-and-effect relationship 17. Value-laden 18. Moral convictions 19. Critique 20. Hypotheses 21. Historical inquiry 22. Eyewitness account 23. Statistical compilations 24. Journals 25. Census 26. Artifacts 27. Economic indicators Goal 2 28. Sustainability – supported,upheld ,of confirmed 29. Fertile Crescent – an area in the middle and near east: formerly fertile, now partly desert 30. Migration - a number or body of persons or animals migrating together. 31. Environment – the aggregate of surrounding things,conditions,or influences;surroundings; milieu 32. Human interdependence – all humans rely on each other. 33. Natural barriers – a natural limit or boundary of any kind. 34. Drought – a period of dry weather that whithers or kills the crops 35. Famine – extreme hunger or scarce amount of food. 36. Trade interactions -the influence of buying or selling trade with other countries. 37. Resources – a source of supply,support,or aid when specificity needed 38. River valley -a natural stream of water flowing in a valley...
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...impossible to police and tax the population effectively. Local power structures that held legal privileges, such as nobles, the church, provincial and other national assemblies, town councils, and guilds, could not easily be rescinded. Many people also spoke a language different from that of the Crown, further decreasing their willingness to obey its commands. 4. The Thirty Years War began as a religious civil war between...
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...Second essay October 9, 2013 The Role of Religion and Church during Medieval and Renaissance Society The role of religion and church was very influential during The Middle Ages and Renaissance society. They possessed a great deal of power that couldn’t be taken away by any ruler. In fact, the church was a counter to kings who wanted absolute power. Any king who wished to rule must have the church on his side. Opposing the church would lead to excommunication. Today this doesn’t sound like much, but at the time, excommunication translated to the downfall of one’s kingdom. The Middle Ages were a time in which everything was controlled by oaths. So for a king to oppose to the church meant that he was breaking the oath of allegiance he had with God. This resulted on the pope excommunicating the king. Now, everyone from the king’s subjects to his enemies could be freed from those oaths, and all of the allegiance with that particular king could be cancelled. This means that anyone could rise up in revolt or invade, without fear of condemnation by the church. Also, any subjects of the king who opposed his views could switch sides without being accused of treason. The church also played an important role in government. Being allied with the king, church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king’s council and played influential roles in society. These important roles granted them power and wealth. But not anyone was appointed to these positions. Bishops...
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...side. This epic has lead many through the depths of Medieval Christianity, displaying its importance on every society since then. With this description, man is awakened to the ethical, political, social, and philosophical aspects of Dante's time, later introducing the Renaissance era. Society in the Middle Ages consisted of two focuses; survival and God. These focuses lead many to forget the developed areas of knowledge and reason before their time. This society's people were believed to be laborers, or otherwise known as the hands of God, as displayed in their art work and literature. All actions were taken not for themselves but for God alone. This was described clearly, by Dante's witnessing of the thirteenth circle of hell containing the suicides. Those within this circle committed an act completely self centered, altering their intentions from God to themselves, leading them to a circle lower then murder. God and the church were not only a primary religious focus, but a structured hierarchy system for all society to follow. With God at the absolute highest position, his principles created an ethical map structuring nine circles of hell along with a social structure in the Middle Ages. This social structure was a fixed hierarchy where individuals never questioned there status or holding in society. People were content with their placement never wanting to move up or succeed in life. If so, it could be taken as a selfish act where one cares more for themselves then God. They believed...
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...17th century European countries such as France and pressure for mostly consisting of absolutist governments and monarchs. Absolutism is a form of government where all the power is directed towards one single ruler. Medieval times can relate to the 17th century Europe. Medieval monarchs would occasionally attempt to centralize their governments and authority, but it would never be carried through because of the nobles in the church opposing to absolutist influence during the middle ages. Also women's rights in roles in society did not change much from medieval times to the 17th century. France and Prussia experience significant changes during the 17 century. Both countries developed absolute monarchies after wars occurred, and also form strong economic systems do absolutist rulers. However, some characteristics did remain the same, four instance, having a single, base religion for each country in social status for women....
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...Was the power of fathers over wives, children and slaves absolute? A Roman father would be given the title of pater familias, meaning head of household and family. This title, given to any male Roman citizen who was “sui iuris”1, 'under his own power,' gave the pater familias certain legal powers over his familias, a word which “covered every member of the household subject to the power of the father...children, slaves and...the wife”2. With respect to these legal rights, the word 'absolute' can be defined as unrestricted or unlimited3. It is, however, important to bear in mind that, according to Plautus, “laws are subordinate to custom”4. The role of the pater familias was a long standing tradition and due to this there were certain behavourial expectations that were not necessarily laid out in Roman law. It was this mixture of custom and law that gave the head of the household such power. It is to be determined, however, whether the same customs and laws also restricted and limited this power. Tradition dictates that the fist wives of Rome were essentially kidnapped and raped5. With such a precedent set, it is no wonder the pater familias could seem to have unrestricted power over their wives. It also seems that society often encouraged men to be strict with their wives. Roman anecdotes, used to project the model relationship between spouses, told of Egnatius Metellus, who “beat his wife to death because she had drunk some wine”6, and Gaius Sulpicius Gallus, who “divorced...
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...simply state that Egyptians are on the street not because they are poor, as many scholars and political analysts suggest, but because power has resided in the hands of a few elites, and these elites have used political power to amass personal wealth at the expense of the bigger mass. But why the Egyptian revolution took place at this particular time, instead of a decade ago, for example? As far as I understand political theories, the answer lies behind globalization and information revolution which opened a new gate to information. That is, since billions of people around the globe are capable of reaching the internet (about 1.7 million according to Nye), many are able to read online news, or even watch them live as they are being broadcasted. Thus, it is possible to associate the Egyptian revolution or the Arab Spring to globalization and information revolution. Acemoglu et al, (2012) also indicate that Egypt’s ex-president, Hosni Mubarak gathered a huge amount of Egyptian wealth (about $70 billion), and this greediness might explain why a generation of the information revolution—one that does not tolerate unaccountability in public sectors—took its anger to the Tahrir Square. The central argument of the authors of the book is that nations become poor predominantly because their leaders are absolute, and thus are not willing to share power or...
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...1. Absolute Monarch-form of government where the monarch (usually a king or queen) has absolute power; monarch has unrestricted political power over the sovereign state and it’s people; usually born into power 2. Age of Reason-18th century movement that followed after the mysticism, religion, and superstition of the Middle Ages 3. Agrarian-cultivated land; person who advocates a redistribution of landed property, especially as part of a social movement 4. Akbar The Great (Mughal India)-Mughal emperor from 1556-death; extended power over most of India Continent; united Muslim and Hindu peoples with his policy of religious cooperation 5. Atheists-person who lacks the belief in the existence in God’s or a God 6. Batavia, Indonesia-Fort established in 1619 as headquarters of Dutch East India Company operations in Indonesia; today the city of Jakarta. 7. Calvin, John-1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism - believed in predestination and a strict sense of morality. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings. 8. Cash Crop-readily salable crop that is grown and gathered for the market (vegetables, cotton, tobacco) 9. Circumnavigation- travel all the way around the Earth 10. Colonization-physical process whereby the colonizer takes over another place, putting its own government in charge and either moving its own people into the place or bringing in indentured outsiders to gain control of the people...
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...INTRODUCTION All through the ages human societies have been plagued with tyranny and the abuse of power. Perhaps since the dawn of civilization and government, because long before democracy existed there were only absolute monarchies. People worked together to form the soundest methods of government. Eventually it would lead us to democracy. This cooperation is in our nature and a key factor that separates us from animals that rely solely on primal instinct. It is also human nature to yearn for absolute power and control. Suffice to say we are all greedy, prideful and envious of those above us in the social hierarchy (i.e. kings, presidents, and bosses). But once a member of the populace is exposed to this power over his fellow man, his senses and values have the potential to mutate and become tyrannical. Both male and females of any ethnic or cultural backgrounds are vulnerable to this anomaly and once affected are capable of inciting atrocities. Muammar Ghadafi was born into squalor to illiterate parents in a country dominated by European powers. He died in his palace at the hands of his own people. He gained and lost power during revolutions. The following documents Muammar Ghadafi’s decent into control, madness and the metaphorical abyss. EARLY LIFE Muammar al-Qaddafi was born in 1942 in the town of Surt , in western Libya . Raised in a Bedouin tent in the Libyan desert, he came from a tribal family called the al-Qadhafah. Both parents were nomadic Bedouin, and being...
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...managed to achieve this by staging a massive invasion, annihilating about 10% of the native population, deporting another mass of people and scattering them around the Middle East and Central Asia, building and settling Greek cities throughout the region, appointing his senior tactical advisor to be the military governor, and marrying the daughter of a local chieftain. Noticeably, Americans are unwilling to partake in this kind of warfare. Centuries of Christian influence has caused us to have a strong belief in righteous war, with...
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...Mao Zedong is considered to be one of the most controversial political leaders of the twentieth century. He has been known both as a savior and a tyrant to the Chinese people. From his strategic success of the Long March, to his humiliating failure of the Great Leap Forward, to the Cultural Revolution that shocked the country and took countless lives, Mao has significantly influenced the result of what China is today. From humble origins, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, imperialism, and war. This astute and insightful account by Jonathan D. Spence brings to life this modern-day ruler and the tumultuous era that Mao Zedong did so much to shape. Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893 in Shaoshan village in Hunan. He experienced a middle peasant upbringing that was “rooted in long-standing rural Chinese patterns of expectation and behavior” (Mao, 10). Mao went to Shaoshan village school where he learned the customary Chinese curriculum as well as studied the “time-honored texts from the Confucian canon” (Mao, 11). At this time in his childhood, the whole country could foresee the fall of the previous dynasty, the Qing. Mao studied to be a teacher at The First Provincial Normal School, in Changsha, which influenced his future thinking and beliefs. He believed that the Chinese way of thinking needed reform, therefore fixated on younger people and peasants to build his political career. In 1912...
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...Political Absolutism/ Absolute Monarchy – France Constitutional Monarchy – England Steps Toward Political Absolutism in France: King Henry IV – 1) elected the Duke of Sully (Maximillian de Bethune) to reduce French debt that accumulated during fighting between Catholics and French Protestants (Huguenots) during the Age of Religious Wars. 2) Brought religious fighting to an end by granting the Huguenots religious toleration via the Edict of Nantes, and 3) Strengthened political power of the French Monarch by limiting the power of the nobility over the regional parliaments. Louis XIII – was assigned Cardinal Richelieu, by his mother Marie de Medici, as his personal advisor, when he was too young to rule at 9. Because of her inept capabilities to rule, Louis XIII, at 23, helped Richelieu send his mother into exile after which the king gave full support to Cardinal Richelieu to run the French Government. Richelieu succeeded in further strengthening the power of the monarch by 1) destroying the castles of the nobility and 2) crushing the political power of the Huguenots, who surrendered their fortified cities, military and territorial rights for religious toleration via the Peace of Alais (1629). 3) Finally, Richelieu transferred power from the nobility to royal elected officials through his creation of the intendant System. Louis IX – was assigned Cardinal Mazarin at the age of 3 as his personal and financial advisor and Prime Minister at the request of Louis’ mother...
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