Category Archives: History
Economic freedom
Economics are important in human life, and striking the right economic balance leads to any number of benefits. This is particularly worth thinking about today, as the current American and global economic crisis has been afflicting society for nearly five … Continue reading
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Filed under Contemporary, History, Intersections
Christianity; and the rise and fall of nations
Over roughly the last 500 years, “Western civilization rose to a position of extraordinary dominance in the world,” as the advantages Niall Ferguson covers in his Civilization: The West and the Rest gave Western powers a marked edge (256). He … Continue reading
Clothing: local to global extent
People around the globe dress and look alike, if they do not act the same. Preparing for a trip to Europe several years ago, many people told me to dress in dark trousers and shoes, with a muted shirt, the … Continue reading
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Filed under History
Western medicine
Ferguson includes Medicine as the fourth chapter and fourth “killer application” in his Civilization: The West and the Rest. Western medicine has measurably changed the world for the better, as life spans and productivity (both, of course, quantitative measures) are … Continue reading
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Filed under History
Western institutions compared
The history of Europeans settling the Americas saw two distinct systems in operation: the Spanish system in the Caribbean and South America, and the English one in North America, which Niall Ferguson explores in his Civilization: The West and the … Continue reading
Filed under History
Science: a historical edge
The second “killer app” in Niall Ferguson’s Civilization: The West and the Rest, is science. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful in history, but in 1683, their failure to take Vienna dealt them a devastating blow, as … Continue reading
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Filed under History
Zheng He; China, Europe, and the present world
Western civilization has been on the ascent for roughly the past five hundred years, though it faces challenges today. According to Niall Ferguson’s 2012 book, Civilization: The West and the Rest, the West was able to go from a position … Continue reading
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Filed under History
Democracy versus Tyranny
John Steinbeck’s The Moon Is Down, set in Europe in World War II, is a celebration of democracy and freedom. A small coal mining town is occupied by the Nazis, as the story documents the townspeople’s confusion and struggle. The … Continue reading
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Filed under History, Literature