CHE 4210 Lecture : Lecture 2
Document Summary
Backwards , poor, little learning: byzantine empire- orthodox christian. Weak, divided: various muslim empires (ottoman, delhi sultanate) on the rise, china- stable, most advanced. Most have secular reasons: no idea of nationalism until 19th century, 19th century= 1800s. 18th= 1700s etc: for most of history, humans have only lived slightly better than animals. Industrialization biggest event in world history since neolithic revolution (agriculture: europe backwards in 1500s, western domination only after 1800s, nationalism in the early 20th century has distorted this, religious wars mostly limited to europe, 1500s-c. 1650. Doctors are quacks : must study the past objectively without using current moral standards. Must: world increasingly globalized, business encounters with foreign cultures, perspective, avoid faux pas/embarrassment, writing skills, critical thinking. Introduction: spirit of unity unlike europe, despite multiple ethnic groups, many old regimes, emphasis on the collective, home of numerous inventions (porcelain, gunpowder, civilization here on rivers, food growing regions, move to the south. Hongwu built most of the rest: isolation.
