DOCSLIB.ORG

Renaissance Europe 1 Origins of a Western Worldview

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Renaissance Europe 1 Origins of a Western Worldview ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:49 AM Page 14 UNIT Renaissance Europe 1 Origins of a Western Worldview IN THIS UNIT This unit helps you investigate these questions. ◆ What was the Renaissance? ◆ Why—and how—did the Renaissance worldview spread from beyond the borders of Europe? ◆ Why did the Renaissance worldview have such a long-lasting influence on other countries and cul- tures? ◆ Why did the European rather than the Aboriginal worldview become the dominant way of looking at things in the American continents? Florence, Italy, is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. The dome of Santa Maria del Fiori, con- structed in the early 1400s, formed the basis of Renaissance architecture. 14 Unit 1 Renaissance Europe ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 15 For more than 500 years, crowds have lined up to see Michelangelo’s David. Raphael painted the School of Athens on the walls of Pope Julius’s private study between 1508–1511. The painting celebrates thinkers from classical times, sometimes giving them the faces of Renaissance people. ALPS ES IT M LO O D Milan Venice Po r. Mantua A PENN INES Avignon Genoa Florence Pisa Arno r. Siena . Assisi r A r e b i T P CORSICA E Rome N ADRIATIC Those who thought of the Americas as “the SEA N N Naples new world” viewed Columbus as a hero, but for I N the Indigenous peoples who lived there, SARDINIA E Columbus’ arrival was seen quite differently. TYRRHENIAN S SEA IONIAN MEDITERRANEAN SEA ISLANDS SICILY 0 100 200 km For hundreds of years, the country known today as Italy was a col- lection of city-states. 15 ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 16 1 Times of Change FIGURE 1-1 This image is a fragment from a fresco painted in 1350 on the walls of the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. Andrea di Orcagna called his fresco The Triumph of Death. How does Orcagna’s art capture the mood of the people affected by the Black Death? 16 Unit 1 Renaissance Europe ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 17 WORLDVIEW INQUIRY Geography In what ways can changing social Knowledge Time structures affect a society’s worldview? Worldview Economy Beliefs 1347. A ship arrives in Messina, a city on the island of Sicily Values Society off the south coast of Italy. he ship sailed into the busy harbour. It had come Tfrom ports on the Eastern Mediterranean where In This Chapter it took on a cargo of spices and other goods. When Think of this unit as a road trip the ship landed, the dockworkers were surprised to see through some of the ideas of the sick sailors staggering onto the shore. Everywhere on Renaissance. If you look in the the deck of the ship lay dead or dying sailors. They rear-view mirror, you will see the had black and purplish blotches on their skin and Middle Ages. How did people live strange, egg-shaped swellings in their armpits. The and think during the Middle dying were coughing, moaning, and vomiting blood. Ages? The Black Death was one Within a few days most of the sailors were dead. of the massive changes at the end People who cared for them also developed the of the Middle Ages that moved European society into a new era. same terrible symptoms. Soon people all over the What impact did the Black Death city began to fall ill and die. have on the beliefs and values of The disease that the sailors had brought was the the people who survived? In what Black Death or bubonic plague. They had caught it ways did European society change in the eastern seaports they visited. The Black because of the Black Death? Death was spread by fleas on the rats that lived in urban areas and on board ships. There was no cure for the disease and over the next two years it spread all over Europe. About one-third to one-half of the people in Europe—25 million people—eventually died of the Black Death. Some villages and towns were completely wiped out. If half the people in Canada suddenly died of a terrible disease, how do you think this would affect our society? Chapter 1 Times of Change 17 ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 18 A Changing Society How would you explain Canada’s society to someone from another How are people’s attitudes and values shaped by the country? Would you describe it as having any particular structure? If way that a society is so, into what groups would you divide it? organized? During the Middle Ages, much of European society was organized in a system called feudalism. Feudalism was a hierarchy. In a hierar- chy people are ranked one above another according to their impor- SKILL POWER tance. People were born into a level of feudal society and they expected When you see a word in to stay in that level for their entire lives. bold type in the text, it Feudalism was based on land, loyalty, and duty. Nobles or knights means that this word swore oaths of allegiance, that is, loyalty, to the king. They promised appears in the Glossary to fight for him in exchange for the rights to pieces of land called at the back of the book. manors or fiefs. It begins on page 379. Bishops had as much power as Barons. Bishops received their land Words in a Glossary are listed in alphabetical from the Crown, and over time, the Church became a very large order, followed by their landowner. As a result the Church was very important to medieval meaning. people in their practical lives as well as their spiritual lives. You will Remember to use learn more about how important the Church was in medieval society in the Glossary as you the next section. read this book. Medieval Country Life Most people in the Middle Ages were peasants who lived in rural vil- lages on a manor. The peasants were assigned strips of land to plant and harvest. Each peasant family had its own strips of land in various areas of the manor. However, the peasants worked cooperatively on tasks such as plowing and haying. The Crown Barons Abbots and Bishops FIGURE 1-2 The feudal hierar- Knights chy. The nobility and clergy held all the land and power in feudal society, yet they made up only about 10 percent of the population. Why do you think the Commoners (Freeholders and Serfs) commoners might have accepted this situation? 18 Unit 1 Renaissance Europe ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 19 In exchange for the use of the land, the peasants had to turn over to the noble, or “lord of the manor,” a portion of what they pro- duced. They were also expected to build roads, clear forests, and do any other work the lord ordered. The peasants—men, women, and chil- dren—worked hard from sunrise to sunset. The peasants were illiterate and uneducated and the manor was usually the limit of their life experience. Some peasants were freemen who rented land from the lord or worked for pay. Most peasants, however, were serfs who were not allowed to leave the manor without the lord’s permission. When they did travel, they rarely went farther than the nearest town. FIGURE 1-3 In this image, the strips of land are in different colours. This indicates whether they were for the use of the noble, the priest, or the peasant. The village is the small dark green area. Where are the manor house and the church located? What does their location suggest to you? FAST FORWARD Oath of Citizenship Today, when people become Canadian citizens they go through a citizenship ceremony and take an oath. The oath must be taken in French or English. This is the English-language version of the oath. I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty FIGURE 1-4 New Canadians taking the oath of citizenship Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties Think IT THROUGH as a Canadian citizen. 1. How does this oath reflect the feudal values of loyalty and duty? 2. Why do you think the oath must be taken in French or English? Chapter 1 Times of Change 19 ABSS8_ch01b.qxd 2/9/07 10:50 AM Page 20 VOICES The Manorial System The way life was organized on the manor is called the Viewpoint Two “manorial system.” Based on your reading so far, what do you think of peasant life under the manorial In spite of the harsh life to which it condemned system? If you had the chance to live for a week back peasants, manorialism was . highly in time, would you choose to be a medieval peasant? successful . [T]he emergence of Explain your thinking. manorialism...was followed by three centuries You have your opinion about peasant life, but some- of agricultural boom . Throughout Europe, the one else in your class might not agree with you. He or serfs cut down forests, drained swamps, and she might focus on entirely different aspects of peas- brought grasslands under the plow. Thousands of ant life and see them as interesting or challenging. new villages sprang up, and by 1300 the Different Ways of Looking at Things population of Europe had risen from roughly forty million to about one hundred million.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Monarchs During Feudal Times
    Monarchs During Feudal Times At the very top of feudal society were the monarchs, or kings and queens. As you have learned, medieval monarchs were also feudal lords. They were expected to keep order and to provide protection for their vassals. Most medieval monarchs believed in the divine right of kings, the idea that God had given them the right to rule. In reality, the power of monarchs varied greatly. Some had to work hard to maintain control of their kingdoms. Few had enough wealth to keep their own armies. They had to rely on their vassals, especially nobles, to provide enough knights and soldiers. In some places, especially during the Early Middle Ages, great lords grew very powerful and governed their fiefs as independent states. In these cases, the monarch was little more than a figurehead, a symbolic ruler who had little real power. In England, monarchs became quite strong during the Middle Ages. Since the Roman period, a number of groups from the continent, including Vikings, had invaded and settled England. By the mid­11th century, it was ruled by a Germanic tribe called the Saxons. The king at that time was descended from both Saxon and Norman (French) families. When he died without an adult heir, there was confusion over who should become king. William, the powerful Duke of Normandy (a part of present­day France), believed he had the right to the English throne. However, the English crowned his cousin, Harold. In 1066, William and his army invaded England. William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings and established a line of Norman kings in England.
    [Show full text]
  • European Middle Ages, 500-1200
    European Middle Ages, 500-1200 Previewing Main Ideas EMPIRE BUILDING In western Europe, the Roman Empire had broken into many small kingdoms. During the Middle Ages, Charlemagne and Otto the Great tried to revive the idea of empire. Both allied with the Church. Geography Study the maps. What were the six major kingdoms in western Europe about A.D. 500? POWER AND AUTHORITY Weak rulers and the decline of central authority led to a feudal system in which local lords with large estates assumed power. This led to struggles over power with the Church. Geography Study the time line and the map. The ruler of what kingdom was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III? RELIGIOUS AND ETHICAL SYSTEMS During the Middle Ages, the Church was a unifying force. It shaped people’s beliefs and guided their daily lives. Most Europeans at this time shared a common bond of faith. Geography Find Rome, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, on the map. In what kingdom was it located after the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476? INTERNET RESOURCES • Interactive Maps Go to classzone.com for: • Interactive Visuals • Research Links • Maps • Interactive Primary Sources • Internet Activities • Test Practice • Primary Sources • Current Events • Chapter Quiz 350 351 What freedoms would you give up for protection? You are living in the countryside of western Europe during the 1100s. Like about 90 percent of the population, you are a peasant working the land. Your family’s hut is located in a small village on your lord’s estate. The lord provides all your basic needs, including housing, food, and protection.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 19 Medieval Europe (A.D. 500 - 1475) the Geography of Europe and Feudalism and the Rise of Towns
    Chapter 19 Medieval Europe (A.D. 500 - 1475) The Geography of Europe and Feudalism and the Rise of Towns Part 1: Geography of Europe ​ Guiding Question: How did geography shape life in Europe after the fall of Rome? During the 400s, Germanic groups invaded the Western Roman Empire. In a.d. 476, these groups overthrew the last emperor in Rome and brought the Empire to an end. Europe then entered a new era called the Middle Ages, or medieval times. This was a 1,000-year period between ancient and modern times. During the Middle Ages, Western Europe was divided into many kingdoms, and Catholic Christianity strongly influenced society. Physical geography shaped Europe's development. The continent of Europe is a huge peninsula, with many smaller peninsulas branching out from it. As a result, most land in Europe lies within 300 miles (483 km) of a seacoast. This encouraged trade and helped the European economy to grow. Rivers and Seas Rivers also played an important role in Europe's growth. ​ ​ Major rivers, such as the Rhine, Danube, Seine, and Po, flow from inland mountains into the oceans and seas surrounding the continent. These rivers are navigable, or wide and deep enough for ships to use. People and goods can sail easily from inland areas to the open sea and, from there, to other parts of the world. Europe's seas and rivers provided protection as well as possibilities for trade. The English Channel, for example, separated the islands of Britain and Ireland from the rest of Europe. As a result, these people were far enough away to be largely safe from the many wars fought on Europe's mainland.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Middle Ages 500-1500 CE CONTEXT
    The European Middle Ages 500-1500 CE CONTEXT ● After the fall of Rome: ○ Western Europe fragmented into small kingdoms (never again reunited under central imperial rule) ○ The East continued on as the Byzantine Empire until 1453 THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) ● Eastern Roman Empire- carried on Rome’s legacy, traditions for another 1000 years ● Roman imperial tradition- leaders commonly called Roman emperors (why?) ● Spoke Greek (culture based around Hellenism) ● Christianity was official religion- rulers seen as ordained by God and in control of both church and state (caesaropapism)- an issue that would contribute to the split in the Church by 1054 ● Wealthier than the West- access to Eurasian trade routes ● Constantinople- capital and strategic trade location Byzantine art What does Byzantine art tell you about the empire? THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) JUSTINIAN- ruled 527-565 CE ● Updated Roman law- Justinian’s Code ● Re-conquered many former Roman lands lost in the West ● Expanded trade ● Built the Hagia Sophia (monumental church) Hagia Sophia THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) EMPRESS THEODORA- Justinian’s Wife ● Convinced Justinian to stay during the Nika Riots (massive anti-government protest) ● Worked to give women more rights THE GREAT SCHISM (1054) ● Religious issues (such as the ability of priests to marry and use of religious icons) came to a head in 1054 ● The pope in Western Europe and patriarch in Eastern Europe excommunicated each other Patriarch ● Resulted in two branches of Christianity- Pope Leo IX Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Michael I Cerularius THE GREAT SCHISM (1054) ● Another issue was in regard to icons ● Roman Catholic Church supported the use of icons (why?) ● Eastern Orthodox Church rejected use of icons, then supported them after the clergy rebelled THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330 CE-1453 CE) FALL OF THE EMPIRE ● After the Great Schism, about 400 years of decline ● Newly converted Turkish invaders gained influence from the Muslim caliphate.
    [Show full text]
  • Feudalism in Europe
    2 Feudalism in Europe MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES POWER AND AUTHORITY The rights and duties of feudal •lord • serf Feudalism, a political and relationships helped shape • fief • manor economic system based on today’s forms of representative •vassal • tithe land-holding and protective government. • knight alliances, emerges in Europe. SETTING THE STAGE After the Treaty of Verdun, Charlemagne’s three feud- ing grandsons broke up the kingdom even further. Part of this territory also became a battleground as new waves of invaders attacked Europe. The political turmoil and constant warfare led to the rise of European feudalism, which, as you read in Chapter 2, is a political and economic system based on land ownership and personal loyalty. TAKING NOTES Invaders Attack Western Europe Analyzing Causes and From about 800 to 1000, invasions destroyed the Carolingian Empire. Muslim Recognizing Effects Use a web diagram to show invaders from the south seized Sicily and raided Italy. In 846, they sacked Rome. the causes and effects Magyar invaders struck from the east. Like the earlier Huns and Avars, they of feudalism. terrorized Germany and Italy. And from the north came the fearsome Vikings. The Vikings Invade from the North The Vikings set sail from Scandinavia Cause Cause (SKAN•duh•NAY•vee•uh), a wintry, wooded region in Northern Europe. (The region is now the countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.) The Vikings, also Feudalism called Northmen or Norsemen, were a Germanic people. They worshiped warlike gods and took pride in nicknames like Eric Bloodaxe and Thorfinn Skullsplitter. Effect Effect The Vikings carried out their raids with terrifying speed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seigneurs Descend to the Rank of Creditors: the Abolition of Respect, 1790
    Articles The Seigneurs Descend to the Rank of Creditors: The Abolition of Respect, 1790 James Q. Whitman* On the great night of August 4, 1789, the French National Assembly proclaimed the abolition of feudalism. This momentous revolutionary proclamation was not, however, self-executing: in the days that followed, it became clear that there was no definitive agreement about what "feudalism" was. After a week of uncertain debate, the gentlemen of the Assembly had not produced fully detailed abolition legislation. Politics having failed, the decision was made to turn the problem over to lawyers; on August 12, the Assembly constituted a Committee, made up principally of lawyers, and charged with the task of defining "feudalism." So it was that the lawyers stepped in, to take charge of the first great abolition of Western history. The special Committee on Feudal Rights worked away during six months of increasing revolutionary tension, as peasants rioted and chateaux burned in many parts of France. Finally, on * This article is a revised and expanded version of "Les seigneurs descendent au rang de simples crdanciers: Droit romain, droit fdodal, et R6volution," in Droits. Revue frangaise de th6orie juridique 17 (1993): 23. I would like to thank Professors Laurent Mayali, Olivier Beaud, James Gordley, and participants in the Yale Law School Faculty Workshop for helpful comments. 249 Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, Vol. 6, Iss. 2 [1994], Art. 6 Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities [Vol. 6: 249 February 8, 1790, the Committee delivered a refined and elegant report, full of technicalities and fine phrases. Among that report's pronouncements was the following declaration: "the Seigneurs," reported the Committee, analyzing the legal essence of the abolition of feudalism, "have descended to the rank of simple Creditors."' This elegant bit of Revolutionary legal analysis is my starting point in this article.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise of Feudalism in Europe During the Middle Ages the Middle Ages Or Medieval Period ( 500 CE -1500 CE.)
    The Rise of Feudalism in Europe During the Middle Ages The Middle Ages or Medieval Period ( 500 CE -1500 CE.) Barbarian No Central New The Invasions leadership Kingdoms Rise of cause… lead to... are unable... the Rise of to protect Feudalism Fall of the New themselves in Europe Western Kingdoms/ from Roman States Barbarian Empire that are Invasions, not united causing a need for localized Protection Key words Essential to Feudalism Feudalism - (Fyoo-duh-lih-zuhm) A system of protection in the Middle Ages. Vassal - An oath of loyalty between knights and lords that stated they would protect the land. Feudal Europe Power Pyramid The Pope • Leader of the Roman Catholic Church • Popes were seen as God’s representative on earth. Kings • Leader of Kingdoms. • Kings gave land to the lords. • All lords/nobles and knights swore an oath of loyalty to protect the king’s land. Nobles/Lords • Swore loyalty to the king. • In exchange, nobles were given land called fiefs to protect. Knights • Armored warriors that protected the land. • They often received “fiefs”(land) for their service. Serfs • Worked on the lord’s land (manors) growing and harvesting food for the feudal system. • Received protection for their service. Check for Understanding: What did knights receive in exchange for their oaths of loyalty? A. Money B. Land (a fief) C. Power D. Weapons Check for Understanding: A manor was a large estate owned by : A. A knight or peasant B. A daimyo or samurai C. A knight or lord D. Peasants or farmers Who did England and France need protection from? 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Feudalism and the Church in the Mimle Ages
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 064 259 SP 007 355 AUTHOR Waldner,- Patrick TITLE World History. A Program for Senior Iligh School Social Studies. INSTITUTION Bloomington Public Schools, Minn. PUB DATE 69 NOTE 105p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$6.58 DESCRIPTORS *Curriculum Guides; *High School Curriculum; *Senior High Schools; *Social Studies; *World History ABSTRACT GRADES OR AGES: Senior higb school. SUBJECT MATTER: World history. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide covers ten units:1) Perspective--Man in Pre-histGric and Ancient Times; 2) Feudalism and the Church in the MiMle Ages; 3) Renaissance and Reformation; 4) Tne Emergenc2 of Nationalism--Its Cause and Effects; 5) Revolutions of Rising E;.:pectationsAgricultural, Industrial, Political; 6) World Conflic,_s in the 20th Century; 7) The Arab WorldNorth Africa and the Middle East; 8) Africa South of the Sahara; 9) Asian CivilizationIndia, Southeast Asia, China and Japan; and 10) Latin America--Amerind CivilizationLatin-Amerind Civilization. The guide is lithographed and spiral bound with a soft cover_ OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVIT ES:General objectives are given at the beginnblg of each unit. Detailed objectives and activities are set out in columns for each unit. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Detailed resource references are given for each unite covering texts, filmstrips, transparenciesfilms and pictures. There is also a bibliography listing library resources for each unit. STUDENT ASSESSMENT: (MBM) A,programfor senior hi. h school social studies Or° 04,41, 1101.1=1101.1 flft,t ft-sS . t'S3V1.4 4 ' 41,7.4 ^ *-4,-Yr" -L, 4Vs'IN 113'40. 401111 , S OFPARTMENT OF HEALTH. -EDUC,ATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION TH., DOCUMENT HAS BLEN REPRO PHCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OP ORGANIZATION ORIG INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN IONS STATED DO NOT NEU SS NE1Y REPRESENT OT FICIAt OF I ICE OT FOG CATION POSITION OP P(ii ICY v- BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.
    [Show full text]
  • The Consequences of Radical Reform: the French Revolution†
    American Economic Review 101 (December 2011): 3286–3307 http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/aer.101.7.3286 The Consequences of Radical Reform: The French Revolution† By Daron Acemoglu, Davide Cantoni, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson* In this article we exploit the variation in institutional reform created by the French Revolution in Europe, in particular within Germany, to investigate the consequences of radical, externally imposed reforms on subsequent economic growth. After 1792 French armies occupied and reformed the institutions of many European countries. The set of reforms the French imposed in the territories that they conquered were extensive and radical; they included the imposition of the civil legal code, the abo- lition of guilds and the remnants of feudalism, the introduction of equality before the law, and the undermining of aristocratic privileges. The long-run implications of these reforms are of interest both for historical reasons and also because they are related to current debates on institutional change. For example, the view that “designed” and externally imposed institutions are unlikely to foster economic progress would suggest that the French Revolution should have significant negative effects.1 In contrast, the view that oligarchies, entry barriers, and restrictions on trade in labor and other markets were the main impediment to growth in Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century would suggest that the revolutionary reforms should have unleashed more rapid economic growth in affected areas (Mancur Olson 1982; Acemoglu 2008).2 * Acemoglu: Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139, and CIFAR (e-mail: [email protected]); Cantoni: Seminar für Wirtschaftsgeschichte, Ludwig-Maximillians- Universität, Ludwigstr.
    [Show full text]
  • Title: the Development of Feudalism in Japan and Its Presence in Japan
    Title: The Development of Feudalism in Japan and its Presence in Japan Today Author: Chelsea Maxwell Recommended Time Frame: 3-4 60-minute periods Grade Level: Middle School World History Standards: 7.5 Students analyze the geographic, economic, religious, and social structure of the civilizations of Medieval Japan. Lesson Objective: Students will understand the development of feudalism and the lasting evidence of feudalism in Japan today. Lesson Background Information: This lesson is designed for middle school students studying world history. Since this is typically the first time students have examined Japan in depth this lesson first provides an introduction to feudalism in Japan (The Development of Feudalism in Japan Reading and Problem-Solution Journal). After building background information, students are then asked to examine various structures in Japan that were essential to the continuance of feudalism during the feudal period (Feudal Japanese castles), and structures that were created to preserve this time in history. Anticipatory Set: Students will examine various images of feudal castles in Japan. They will be asked to take note of the following: • What are the castles made of? • What are some details you notice in the structure of the castle? • What surrounds the castle? • Is this similar to or different from other castles you have seen in pictures or movies? • Why do you think these castles were built this way? The objective of this anticipatory set is to have students looks critically at the design and structure of a feudal castle in Japan as an introduction to Japanese feudalism. Moreover, it is designed to help students push aside what they traditionally think of as a “castle” in order to think of a castle as a strategic weapon of defense during the feudal era in Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Feudalism: a Comparative Study in Social and Political Structures of Pre-Industrial Societies', Emphasises the Inter-Disciplinary Approach of Our Association
    25 THE IDEA OF FEUDALISM: FROM THE PHILOSOPHES TO KARL MARX S.N. Mukherjee The title of this conference - 'Feudalism: a comparative study in social and political structures of pre-industrial societies', emphasises the inter-disciplinary approach of our Association. We wish to break down artificial barriers and constraints put upon us by the very organisation of our universities. There are here historians, political scientists, anthropologists, linguists, literary critics and philosophers. ' It is not the aim of this conference to arrive at a precise definition of the term feudalism. In my time I h!ive organised many inter-disciplinary seminars and conferences and five collections of research papers have been published by me around such concepts as 'nationalism' or 'elite' which were not defined too tightly. The result was that we had many interesting papers but not necessarily tightly organised books. None of these concepts should be too closely defined, else we might miss out on some good papers which would not come close to our definition. On the other hand if we define the term too loosely we get lost. The problem of broad categories is that they become catch-all phrases often used by the uninformed to hide their ignorance. Clearly, we need some feasible but workable definition of feudalism. Years ago Owen Lattimore warned us about this: "Too loose a classification yokes the noun 'feudalism' with so many adjectives, 'nomadic', 'bureaucratic', 'centralised', 'patriarchal', etc. - that feudalism itself is in danger of being drained of meaning. Too tight a classification on the other hand tends to restrict 'feudalism' eventually to some one region or period." I Let us first examine some of these frustrating efforts to arrive at a workable definition.
    [Show full text]
  • French Revolution French Revolution French Revolution French
    French Revolution Overview His. 102: Intro. to Western • The year 1789 witnessed two far-reaching events: Civilization the ratification of the Constitution of the United French Revolution States of America and the eruption of the French Revolution. Instructor: Michael D. Berdine, Ph.D. • Compared to the American Revolution, the French Pima Community College – West Campus Revolution was more complex, more violent, and TTh, 10:10-11:25am, Tucson H205 Fall 2003 far more radical in its attempt to reconstruct both a http://wc.pima.edu/~mberdine new political and a new social order. French Revolution French Revolution Background Background • The long-range or indirect causes of the • The First Estate consisted of the clergy and French Revolution must first be sought in numbered about 130,000 people who owned the condition of French society. approximately 10% of the land. – Before the Revolution, France was a society – Clergy were exempt from the taille, France’s chief tax. grounded in the inequality of rights or the idea – Clergy were also radically divided: of privilege. • The higher clergy, stemming from aristocratic families, shared – Its population of 27 million was divided, as it the interests of the nobility; • While the parish priests were often poor and from the class of had been since the Middle Ages, into three commoners. orders, or Estates. French Revolution French Revolution Background Background • The Second Estate was the nobility, composed of Second Estate (cont.) about 350,000 people who nevertheless owned about 25 to 30% of the land. – Moreover, the possession of privileges – The nobility had continued to play an important and remained a hallmark of the nobility.
    [Show full text]