What Makes Us Western?
The 3 Rs
CIV 101-02
Fall
November 20, 2015
Class 39
What Makes Us Western?
The 3 Rs
Renaissance
(Protestant) Reformation/Revolt
(Scientific) Revolution
What Makes Us Western?
Renaissance
• We learned to be HUMAN again
– Humanism shifted the focus from the divine to
the human being and from the everlasting to this
life.
What Makes Us Western?
Renaissance
• We learned how great humans have been
and we recalled what they had given us.
• We recovered the legacies of Greece & Rome
– And these are a huge part of our Western-ness
– Without the Renaissance, the people of Islam
would be more attuned to Greece and Rome
than would we.
• In the process, we learned a lot about the
people of Islam
– Through what they saved and how they saved it.
What Makes Us Western?
Renaissance
• We learned how great humans can be
– And focused on individual genius
We still aspire to works of these levels
What Makes Us Western?
(Protestant) Reformation/Revolt
• Notions of “One Way,” “the unified mystical
body of Christ,” “the global village” all sound
wonderfully unifying.
• But one of the essential strengths of the
West is its diversity.
What Makes Us Western?
(Protestant) Reformation/Revolt
• The hold the Catholic Church had on Western
Civilization might have continued to be good for
Catholics (though it might not have been)
– But could not have been good for everyone else,
despite Catholic insistence to the contrary.
• The development of Protestant approaches
become some of our strengths (e.g., Protestant
ethic) and weaknesses (e. g., Puritanism).
• Reigning-in Catholic excesses (Papal/leadership
misconduct, theological abuses, the Crusades,
the Inquisition, anti-Semitism, etc.) was
probably healthy, even for the Catholic Church.
What Makes Us Western?
(Protestant) Reformation/Revolt
• Regardless of the faith or sect, religion can expand
human aspirations toward the extra-human, the divine.
– As evidenced by the artistic geniuses in the Renaissance.
• The Christian who take on those aspirations are
immeasurably important to our development.
• Without the (Protestant) Reformation/Revolt, humans
may have rejected religion by rejecting Catholicism and
it’s problems, and by doing so, lost out on religion’s
potential advantages.
• Undeniably, Christianity and Christian people have done
a LOT of good, often in the name of their faith.
– Some bad, sure. But at least enough good to make it possible
to claim a balanced accounting.
What Makes Us Western?
Scientific Revolution
• As important as religion was, and is, Western
progress turned on getting away from its
overwhelming influences. Yet,
• we needed other ways to explain the
mysteries of life.
• Science and the development of technologies
and methods became the ways (for better or
worse).
What Makes Us Western?
Scientific Revolution
• On the one hand, the Cartesian Split simply
isn’t true and caused us to misunderstand
both ourselves and our world.
• On that same hand, science and technology
have resulted in many ills, so much so, that
we may end up killing off both ourselves,
everyone else, and the planet.
• Still, it is what it is and it is who we are.
What Makes Us Western?
Scientific Revolution
• And of course, just like with religion, for all
the bad, there’s also a lot of good and these
positives are often what we are most proud
of as a people group.
• Our slices of Western Civilization developed
into places of extraordinary advancement
due to our scientific and technological
methods, thinking, and achievements.
What Makes Us Western?
Everything that Came Before,
and then The 3 Rs
Renaissance
(Protestant) Reformation/Revolt
(Scientific) Revolution
Thanks for hanging in there with a Gen. Ed. section
that might have been a little more difficult than you
had planned for. Perhaps, looking back on it; the whole
thing won’t seem so bad. In fact, maybe it’s what you
pay the big bucks for (even if sometimes you think
you’d be willing to get a little less if it were a little less
difficult).
Prior to grades for the final paper and final exam,
the class average in this course stands at a 79% B; I
expect grades will go up as the papers come in; your
projects are in pretty good shape in early planning.
Please be safe over the winter break and return
refreshed. If you need a spring class, I’ll let you into CFA
314/IM 450: Privacy in the Connected USA
The rest of the term:
(Please call 2378 if you scheduled a meeting but need to cancel)
December
2 class 40; no class: Scheduled meetings over papers
4 class 41 no class: Scheduled meetings over papers
Assignment for class 42: Art Analysis Paper Due, by 1pm,
December 7
7 class 42 no class: Art Analysis Paper Due by 1pm
9 study day
15 2:30-4:30 Final Exam: here.
Although listed as 2 hours, it’s a 1 hour session. The exam will be
over at 3:30. Don’t come late, expecting to be able to test after
3:30.
However, if you begin on time and need more than an hour, you
will be allowed to take as much time as you need.
Course Evaluations
• We take student course evaluations seriously at Bradley.
– They go into our permanent employment record
– They are considered during decisions about pay increases
• I have tenure and am a full professor, yet I am still expected to do evaluations and I
DO read every one.
• Please remember, especially when you review younger faculty: Be
honest but BE FAIR. Evaluations are not the place to hijack and back stab.
Please consider your effort as well as their shortcomings. Those young
faculty need your support and encouragement AND your honest
evaluation of things they can improve.
• Often, in multi-section settings, your teacher might not be in charge of
everything (book selection, exams, assignments, etc.). Please be sure
that they ARE before you take them to task for X, Y, Z.
• In here, it was all my call.
• Please put them in the envelope when done. Mr. Bell will take them up
to the Honor’s Program office after completion.. Slide them under Deb’s
door if she isn’t there.
• Questions?