Western culture: history, values and development

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Western culture, sometimes equated with the civilization of the same name, a way of life, is a very widely used term for the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies that have some association with Europe.

This term applies to countries whose history is closely connected with European immigration. For example, the Americas, Australia, and not limited to the European continent.

Characteristic

Western culture is characterized by many artistic, philosophical, literary and legal themes and traditions. The heritage of the Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Jewish, Slavic, Latin and other ethnic and linguistic groups, as well as Christianity, which has played an important role in the formation of Western civilization since at least the 4th century.

She also contributed to Western thought, in antiquity, and then in the Middle Ages and in the eraRenaissance, a tradition of rationalism in various areas of life, developed by Hellenistic philosophy, scholasticism, humanism, the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment.

The values of Western culture throughout history have been based on political thought, the widespread use of rational arguments. And also in favor of freedom of thought, the assimilation of human rights, the need for equality and democracy.

Development

The historical record of Western culture in Europe begins with Ancient Greece and Rome. It continued to evolve from Christianization in the Middle Ages, through a period of reform and modernization during the Renaissance, the globalization of European empires that spread Western lifestyles and educational methods throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries.

European culture developed in parallel with a complex spectrum of philosophy, medieval scholasticism and mysticism, Christian and secular humanism. Rational thinking developed over many years of change, the development of education, and was accompanied by the experiments of the Enlightenment and breakthroughs in the sciences.

Through its global connections, European culture has evolved with an overarching drive to embrace, adapt and ultimately influence other cultural trends around the world.

Trends that have come to define contemporary Western societies include the existence of political pluralism, prominent subcultures or countercultures, and increased cultural syncretism as a result of globalization and human migration.

Basic concept

Western culture is an incredibly broad term used to describe the social norms, belief systems, traditions, customs, values, etc. that originated in Europe or are based on European culture. For example, America is part of this culture. The East Coast of the United States was originally a British colony, and as America became an independent state, it absorbed many elements of European culture.

French, Spanish and British are all subcategories of the broader concept of Western culture.

So Europe and most of the Western Hemisphere represent this culture. Unlike Asia, which belongs to Eastern culture, and Africa, it has its own unique values.

Some of the main characteristics of Western culture include:

• rational thinking;
• individualism;
• Christianity;
• capitalism;
• modern technologies;
• human rights;
• scientific thinking.

Most historians agree that the concept originated with the ancient Greeks. They were the first to build what came to be called Western civilization. They developed democracy and made significant progress in science, philosophy and architecture. The Greeks and Romans were actually its founders. From them, it began to spread throughout Europe, and then throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Features of Western culture

She is consideredindividualistic. Its representatives are proud that each of them is a special, unique personality. They value individualism. This is one of the main differences between Western and Eastern culture, which, on the contrary, is more collectivist. In the West, individuality and personal rights are more valued. It was here that the concept that every person should be free was formulated:

• Have a free political voice.
• Express yourself freely
• Free to live as you please.

Christianity is an important component of Western culture. An incredible amount of great Western art is based on Christianity, such as Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting or Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Although not everyone today is a believing Christian, the influence of religion pervades many layers of cultural and social life.

One of the important events in the history of Christianity that had a profound impact on Western culture was the Protestant Reformation. In fact, it was a European anti-Catholic revolution, provoked in 1517 by the monk Martin Luther. The movement he started had colossal cultural and social consequences. The Protestant Reformation led to a new perception of the world and ultimately accelerated the growth of capitalism and individualism.

Another key moment in the development of Western culture was the Enlightenment. It was an ideological movement, which led to the emergence of numerous contradictions. The Age of Enlightenment began at the end of the 17th century. in England, and reached its peakin France in the 18th century. This period is considered one of the most significant in the development of society.

In general, the stages of the history of Western culture repeat the stages of the development of society.

Ancient world

This period includes the great early civilizations of the ancient Near East, Greece and Rome. It was during this period that the emergence of Western philosophy, mathematics, theater, science and democracy took place. The Romans, in turn, created an empire that extended over most of Europe and all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. They were expert administrators and engineers who saw themselves as heirs to the great civilizations that had come before them, notably Greece and Egypt.

Middle Ages

The first half of this millennium period saw political and economic upheaval in Western Europe as waves of invasions by migrating peoples destabilized the Roman Empire. Christianity spread throughout the territory of the Roman Empire and even among the migrating tribes. The Christian Church, led by the Pope, has become the most powerful institution in Western Europe.

Petrarch, who lived in the 14th century, described the early Middle Ages as "dark ages", especially in comparison with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Renaissance scholars considered the Middle Ages a barbaric period that separated them from the great civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Many great works of art and literature were created during this period, but they mostly focused on the teachings of the church,which is one of the characteristic features of the Western culture of the Middle Ages.

By the 11th century, Western Europe was becoming increasingly stable, a period sometimes referred to as the late (or high) Middle Ages. At this time, large-scale construction and restoration of cities resumed. The monasteries became important centers of learning.

Renaissance

At this time there was a revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture. It was also a period of economic prosperity for Europe. At this time, a new view of the world is being formed, called humanism, which, in its most fundamental renewed value for human knowledge and experience of this world (as opposed to focusing mainly on the heavenly realm), used ancient Greek and Roman literature and art as a model.

Thanks to the invention of the printing press and the spread of books, the literacy rate in Europe has skyrocketed. In 1517, the German theologian and monk Martin Luther challenged the authority of the Pope. The ideas of the Reformation quickly spread, laying the foundation for human values.

It was during this period that the scientific revolution began, the religious doctrine was replaced, which became the source of understanding of the universe and the place of man in it.

Modern Era

During this period, the development of Western culture and society was influenced by the scientific, political and economic revolutions of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 17th century in artthe dominant style was baroque. It was a time of conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the rise of the power of the great monarchies of Europe. It was also a period of colonization and the formation of national borders by major European powers. The 1700s are often referred to as the Enlightenment. Rococo and neoclassical styles appeared in art.

At this time, revolutions took place in America and France. The emerging middle and working classes began a centuries-old campaign to win political power, challenging the control held by the aristocracy and monarchies.

In the 19th century, capitalism became the dominant economic system. The division of political power was reinforced by a general rise in living standards and the first experiments in public education, new achievements in Western culture.

Steam engines and unskilled workers in factories began to replace skilled craftsmen. There has been an increase in the population of cities, primarily due to migration from rural areas.

Modernity

The 20th century was the most cruel in history. During this period, two world wars took place, the "cold", the liquidation of the colonial system, totalitarian states appeared. At the same time, the 20th century was marked by the struggle for human rights and the rise of global capitalism.

During this period, art became part of the market economy, began to be seen as a way of personal expression.

Problems of Western culture

Current situationdevelops in such a way that many of its achievements can simply be nullified. This is due to the emergence of global problems that threaten all of humanity. In particular, we are talking about an environmental problem caused by the destructive impact of technological progress. The lifestyle of the so-called consumer society also has a negative effect, when spiritual values lose their significance.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to raise children, to overcome the asocial tendencies of the behavior of the younger generation. In addition, modern Western civilization is distinguished by a high level of conflict.