European Civilization 11 ( Characteristics of European Civilization 2 )

4. The reason why European civilization became the most powerful civilization was due to the combined forces of the accumulation of scientific knowledge in many fields, its industrialization, and the formation of markets (exports). On top of this industrial capital, there was a cosmopolitan, networked world of capital.

 

5. Excessively militaristic. Having experienced repeated invasions by foreign tribes, they are sensitive about security. This has been the situation since they were a small community, but on the other hand, they have also developed the idea of arbitration and trials rather than military. The formation of modern nation states is a result of this (for example, the development of the Bourbon dynasty increased its power as an arbitrator), but it seems that the idea of balance of power also had this aspect.

 

 

6. The secular world was separated and the central universality was gradual, but in the case of European civilization, the duality of the spiritual and the secular has led to complex historical phenomena. After the end of the Middle Ages, Catholicism and Protestantism fought, which was accompanied by wars and diplomacy for the balance of power in the secular world, resulting in long-term religious wars and turmoil. Religion (the Puritan Revolution) gave rise to democracy and nationalism, and the old powers (the nobility and clergy) fought against the bourgeoisie and bourgeois classes, which was also accompanied by competition for the balance of power in the secular world, resulting in long-term conflicts and wars related to the civil revolution. The Industrial Revolution, which was born from the freedom created by the civil revolution, gave rise to the bourgeoisie and working class, which gave rise to class struggle, and the power of efficiency: the second principle (the principle of improving living standards) gave rise to imperialism (capital accumulation, military, and the development of transportation and communication technology), thus creating the continuous evolution of European civilization.

 

 

Islamic civilization has a similar structure to European civilization, with the separation of the secular, a loose center, and Sunni and Shiite sects*. Also, European and Islamic civilizations have similar appearances in the sense of being cosmopolitan and networked societies, but the speed of subsequent development was faster in European civilization. Why is this? It may have been a difference in degree, although they are similar. There was a period in the Middle Ages when spiritual power dominated over secular power in European civilization. This power also contributed to the expansion of agricultural productivity. It was characterized by being both secular and spiritual power, and therefore the worldview it created was wide-reaching and robust, but the reaction to it was also wide-reaching and powerful. The chain reaction between the old and new powers, which often changed their meaning, was also powerful. Other elements of European civilization were drawn into this conflict. For example, Germanic democracy, aristocracy, and freedom. This civilization's peasant elements, military elements, sense of balance of power, cosmopolitan elements, and the external forces of Islamic civilization were all combined in various ways to drive a variety of phenomena.

 

7. The status of women was remarkably high compared to other civilizations. This phenomenon was probably linked to the emergence of the idea of human rights. Although there were regional differences, it was a notable feature compared to other civilizations, including the fact that empresses appeared quite frequently and that there were quite a few female historical figures.

 

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