MMW 13 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Fatalism, Binary Opposition, Eurocentrism
Get McKay book
Course range: 1200-750 CE
Introduction to Course Themes
"Rise of the West" Master Narrative
The Myth of European Exceptionalism
Eurocentric assumptions about Western and European cultures
○
Convenient binary opposition of dynamism vs. paralysis
Acknowledge the religious fatalism of pre-15th century medieval
Europe
See this world as "vale of tears"
Phrase was often used by the church to convince
people that this was not the real world. That the real
existence was in the afterlife and that this life was the
"vale of tears"
®
□
§
After 15th century, Europe began to shed this ideology of
renunciation for a belief in the infinite potential of human agency
"Only in the West…"
Tends to influence exceptionalism
®
someone who is willing to take the risk to invent= only
in the West
®
rationality of a secular (non-religious) person= only in
the West
®
Idea of work ethic(industrialization)= only in the West
®
□
The ONLY part is what is questioned
Were these ideas or views of risk taking or innovation
not found in other civilizations?
®
□
§
Was there a radical change in world-view in Europe by the late
Middle Ages?
§
○
•
World Engagement in the East
Dynamism and change in the so-called "traditional" non Western-cultures
○
•
Lecture 1
Monday, April 2, 2018
9:56 AM
Document Summary
Acknowledge the religious fatalism of pre-15th century medieval. Phrase was often used by the church to convince people that this was not the real world. That the real existence was in the afterlife and that this life was the. After 15th century, europe began to shed this ideology of renunciation for a belief in the infinite potential of human agency. Tends to influence exceptionalism someone who is willing to take the risk to invent= only in the west rationality of a secular (non-religious) person= only in the west. Idea of work ethic(industrialization)= only in the west. Was there a radical change in world-view in europe by the late. Dynamism and change in the so-called "traditional" non western-cultures. Mongol system would increase the frequency of contact. By 12th century, already evidence of mass production, especially in export of textiles (silk in china, cotton in india) 19th century european historians association of european imperialism with some "inherent historical necessity"
