western civilizations, since 1600, an introduction

The world we live in has been greatly shaped by the development in the Western world in the past four hundred years, from political, social/cultural ideas to political, economic, social and cultural institutions.   A study of the West since 1600 can lead to a better understanding of what goes on around us today.

1. Ideas of of democracy and republicanism

  • The English Revolution, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution
  • The revolutions of the 19th century.

 2. Economic systems and modes of production.

  • free trade, market economy.
  • industrial revolution and the factory system.
  • imperialism and world war I.

3. The political system of nation states

nationalism and the formation of modern European nation states.

4. Modern social relationships: classes, genders, and races.

  • The Industrial Revolution, Marxism, and the concept of class and class struggle.
  • The new division of labor between men and women after the Industrial Revolution.
  • Nationalism, imperialism, and racism.

5. New views of man and the universe

  • The new conceptions of the human being by Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud.
  • The new conceptions of space and time by Albert Einstein.

6. New ideas of social development:

Conservatism and liberalism.

7. How is the study related to today?

Western civilizations in the past four hundred years have had a profound impact on our lives today, from our institutions, such as a republican form of government,  mass political participation, market economy, factories and companies, to the guidelines of U.S. foreign policies, to our understanding of the human being, the social values we uphold, including the ideas of progress and individualism.

8. History and historicism

The study of history is a journey through continuities and change.  On the one hand, we recognize that historical events are related to one another, hence the study of the past is beneficial to the future.  On the other hand, every historical event is unique, just like siblings of the same parents are similar and different.  The study of history is to search for greater meaning beneath each individual fact while recognizing that each fact is unique in itself.