Problems and Solutions

McAdoo
WHAT MAKES A CIVILIZATION SUCCESSFUL?

James Humphreys
James Friday, May 30, 2014 11:46:50 AM Dr. James Pacic Daylight Time 70:56:81:b0:06:79
Thriving. That's ghting... Surviving is barely getting by.
~Jillian Michaels
SECTION 1
1
Introduction
A warm, gentle breeze wafts among the
trees. Roots provide good foundations for
caves, holes, and nests for animals, as do
all the other aspects of the landforms.
Birdcalls can be heard in every direction.
Animals frolic about as life was a Disney
movie, and these trees were the set. The
land of Morrowind is a prosperous place.
Amid the dense woods, the never-ending
nature is a safe haven for animals, be it
beasts or small, docile animals. There are
open clearings, thick canopies, dark
caves, deep ponds, rushing rivers, and
many more ecosystems scattered among
the land. Deep in the dense shrubbery, a
civilization by the name of The McAdoo,
are trying to take root. The leaves glisten
with sap, and the overgrown earth is cov-
ered in a multitude of plants. The forest is
a beautiful place, teeming with life and
creation.
It is in this favorable/unfavorable geo-
graphic environment that the civilization
of McAdoo will be founded. It is a civiliza-
tion whose design takes its inspiration
from the study of past civilizations such
as the Arabs, the Aztecs, the Greeks, the
Mayans, the Mesopotamians, and the Ro-
mans, among others. This book will docu-
ment the necessary steps to take in order
to create a successful civilization.
2
Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.
~Soren Kierkegaard
SECTION 2
3
Analysis of the Problem
The rst objective to start a civilization
here would be to gather necessities such
as food, water, and proper attire. Due to
the land here, there may be problems that
the McAdoo people may face, involving
their basic food and water. The predators
that lurk in the forest are vicious, and can
attack at any time, and the smaller ani-
mals will steal the civilians food.
I: Problems Getting Water -
The water is a quite scarce, and it poten-
tially has harmful substances infused
within it. Drinking contaminated water
can very likely end in death. There are es-
sentially only two options for places to
nd water: Stagnant ponds and rivers.
Ponds are rife with mosquito larvae and
other nasty things, and rivers can have
lthy substances in it from plants and ani-
mals upstream. Water, besides holding vi-
ruses and sickness, also attracts danger-
ous animals. Without water, the parched
husks of people will rapidly decline in
health, leaving the land littered with de-
hydrated corpses.
4
II: Problems Getting Food -
Food is generally hard to come by, due to
the needed skills to obtain it. Animals are
hard to catch and kill, and naturally occur-
ring food is quite rare. Also, the climate is
temperamental, and go from inferno hot
in the summer to frigid in the winter.
Rain can come in torrents and leave with-
out a trace the next morning. The weather
is the deciding factor in the growth of
crops. Land can be uninviting for farm-
ing, for example, in certain places; the
land can range from dense forests with lit-
tle surface water to open plains with poor
soil. (Frey 268). These weather effects
make it quite difcult to raise healthy
crops, and crops are a main staple food.
Without any food, the civilization will
quickly deteriorate, and the malnour-
ished people will be useless in the village
and they will ultimately end up deceased.
It will be a dead settlement.
5

Youre either part of the solution, or part of the problem.
~Eldridge Cleaver
SECTION 3
6
Proposed Solutions
ADAPTATIONS/MODIFICATIONS:
Water
Any water, if thought to hold disease,
will be boiled. The boiling of water gets
rid of the pollution that could be found in
it if it were from a stagnant water source,
or if it holds disease. If water is scarce, it
can be rerouted to be owing nearby, for
easy access. Animals near water can be
scared away or killed with the gatherers
weapons, which is also a food source.
ADAPTATIONS/MODIFICATIONS:
Food
Food is the most important resource; so
many techniques have been learned to ob-
tain it. The animals in the forest make for
a good meal. Therefore, traps must be
laid, and hunters must be trained. Any
stored food is closely guarded, and the
water is rerouted to be close by, for farm-
ing use. The hunters are more important,
and must own good tools, and have their
skills honed to the point of being razor
7
sharp. The primary objective of every day
is for the civilization to survive, and with-
out meat that cannot be achieved. Har-
vesting resources from domesticated ani-
mals is another key way to provide for
the village. Lastly, the farmers must be
very well trained, and their crops shel-
tered and kept under watch to see if they
are thriving. If the land is not suitable for
farming, the civilization will move. At
least one of the places in the area will be
suitable for farming. On Frey 36, the book
states, Sumerian farmers began to create
irrigation systems to provide water to
their elds. They built earth walls, called
levees, along the sides of the river to pre-
vent ooding. When the land was dry,
they would poke holes in the levees. The
water owed through the holes and into
the thirsty elds. The solutions can keep
the civilizations hunger satiated.
8
CHAPTER 4
9
Law and Government
My modied Pantheon.
Roman Architecture
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like re, it is a dangerous ser-
vant and a fearful master. ~George Washington
Lessons from Democracy
In history, there has been failure after
failure as governments came and went,
each time struggling to provide for their
people but being overcome by imperfec-
tions and greed.
Over the course of the years, many gov-
ernments were dislodged, and some are
continuing to be overthrown today. Just
recently, Egypt had a new government in-
stalled.
Monarchies, Oligarchies, Tyrannies, and
more all collapsed when they failed to
provide what was needed. Today, the
only type of government that is wholly
successful is democracy. Letting the peo-
ple make their own decisions is the only
way to give the people what they want.
But alas, as seen in the failed Athenian
government, it becomes an impossible bat-
tle to try to let everyone input upon deci-
sions. Direct Democracy is not a good
way to run a county, let alone a city. If
that were attempted in America, it would
be a government collapse. The Athenian
Assembly quickly tired of voting so of-
ten.
Sparta tried something different: They
had 30 men in power, who drew up laws,
ran the day-to-day processes, and overall
called the shots. This was the Council of
Elders. The Spartan Assembly consisted
of all citizens, who shouted to cast their
10
votes. But this was just an illusion of
power, as they didnt make decisions. If
the Elders didnt agree with the people,
they would go ahead and do what they
wanted anyways. The way the Spartans
worked was largely successful; due to the
fact that no one person held too much
power, besides the kings. Even if they
were unjust, the council could override
them and veto their laws.
The Romans, however, had an unfortu-
nate starting position for their govern-
ment to grow. They had to form a fair gov-
ernment in the midst of a civil conict,
called the Conict of Orders.
This conict was between the poor Plebe-
ians, and the rich, swanky Patricians. The
Patricians made up about 5% of the Ro-
man population, but accounted for all of
the government power. Obviously, they
would make biased decisions with only
benets for them. They would dodge
laws, and modify anything to make it
prot them.
Eventually, the Plebeians outsmarted the
Patricians, and left the city until they
gained equal rights. The Patricians, now
exposed without an army, quickly gave
them what they wanted.
The lessons that can be learned from
these civilizations are endless.
But the most important one is, making de-
cisions that please your citizens. If your
citizens are unhappy, then your civiliza-
11
tion has already failed. The point of want-
ing to be the strongest nation is so your
civilization is the best place for your peo-
ple to be safe and happy. Nobody looks at
war-torn but powerful countries as suc-
cessful. Afghanistan has proven to be a
formidably militarized country, but every-
one sees it as a wasteland due to how its
people are forced to live.
The main idea is that a country that
thrives is a country that is happy. Democ-
racy is a way to let citizens choose their
way to be ruled and live, and that lets
them be joyful and proud to be a part of
their civilization.
12
Secondary Pillars
Main Pillars
Pediment
McAdoo Temple: Interactive Picture. Click on a word to see its function.
13
1 of 11
Roman Restaurant Exterior
Architecture: Rome
Moat
Pediment
Main Columns
Temple of McAdoo: Interactive Picture
Code of Laws
The laws of McAdoo are a mix between
Hammurabis Code and The Twelve Ta-
bles. I have a mix of harsh and passive
punishments, and incorporated them into
the laws that it would be a just penalties
for. My geographic environment is a for-
est, which is shady and fairly easy to com-
mit crimes in, such as murder. So there-
fore, I instituted harsher punishments for
crimes of that nature, to deter people
from committing them. My laws penalize
people according to their level of offense,
and it is very fair. If a crime hurts another
persons belongings or body, they will be
more than compensated with the punish-
ment. They are designed to be hard on
the offender, and very good to the victims
and citizens around them.
1. Thou shall not steal, and punishment
found for convicted theft is 10 lashings,
and a ne of 2 sheep.
This punishment is important, because
people want to avoid the pain and loss of
property that comes with being convicted
of theft.
2. One who is convicted of intentional
slaughter of a fellow citizen, who had not
provoked the attack, shall be swiftly and
painlessly put to death.
14
This is also essential to my civilization, be-
cause they know their crimes may make
them be killed.
3. One who maims, injures, or dam-
ages someones person or property is ex-
pected to compensate that person, and
leave him or her with more than they
had. Punishment for failure to do so is a
ne of a possession of the victims choos-
ing, along with the normal compensation.
This law prevents people being left with
problems due to someone damaging their
things, so people will not be left in a bad
place because of someone elses mistakes.
It also is a law that serves the people, and
makes sure they are not unhappy with
the damage.
These laws, as you can see, are all about
internal affairs. Not one mentions any
military, or anything outside of the cities.
This is because if a civilization cannot
rule itself, and is full of turmoil within its
walls, it is impossible for them to be suc-
cessful.
I. Thou shall not steal, and punishment
found for convicted theft is 10 lashings,
and a ne of 2 sheep.
II. One who is convicted of intentional
slaughter of a fellow citizen, who had not
15
provoked the attack, shall be swiftly and
painlessly put to death.
III. One who blackmails or threatens an-
other citizen faces immediate exile.
IV. If one is found to have skipped a court
appearance or a voting period, and is not
deeply ill, hurt, or urgently needed some-
where else; they shall be sentenced to 30
hours of hard labor.
V. One who maims, injures, or damages
someones person or property is expected
to compensate that person, and leave him
or her with more than they had. Punish-
ment for failure to do so is a ne of a pos-
session of the victims choosing, along
with the normal compensation.
VI. The Eye for an Eye rule is strictly en-
forced for minor altercations, such as as-
sault.
VII. If one has committed 3 crimes, beat
their wife, or committed a hate crime to-
wards another citizen, they will be
drafted into military service. Their instruc-
tors will receive instructions to be particu-
larly harsh.
VIII. One becomes a man at age 18, and
must attend schooling until that point.
16
Everyone in the land of McAdoo must be
well educated.
IX. In times of war, every citizen must be
trained in the use of weapons so they
may protect themselves and their fellow
citizens if the military fails to stop the at-
tack.
X. Any plots to overthrow the govern-
ment or cause turmoil in the city will be
rewarded with a quick death.
XI. No hostile acts of racism will escape a
punishment of 10 lashings, if convicted.
XII. Anyone found owning a slave will
have his crops burned, and be sentenced
to 3 years in prison.
XIII. Tax evasion will result in double
taxes for 2 years.
XIV. Vandalism will be punished by defac-
ing the convicts house.
XV. Farming another mans land results
in the victim having the right to harvest
everything grown on your land.
17
XVI. Arson will be punished by death.
XVII. If a citizen beats his son, he shall
lose custody of said son. The child can
overrule this judgment if desired.
XVIII. There shall be an arena in the city
limits, and anyone can sign up for a ght
to the death. The winner wins a large
sum of money and all the losers belong-
ings.
XIX. Every citizen is entitled to health-
care. If someone is beyond the point that
they can be saved, they will not receive
treatment for anything but pain.
XX. Any crooked ofcer of the law will be
publicly hung, if convicted.
18
Political Leadership of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is widely considered to be
one of the most inuential people in an-
cient history. His name is recognized in al-
most every household. He is known for
being great, but he met his demise at the
hands of his fellow leaders. What went
wrong? What mistakes did Julius make?
Julius had only the best intentions of the
people in mind. He made every change
he thought he could to improve the lives
of the poor, be it through free entertain-
ment, lowered taxes, or more job opportu-
nities. While this was a very noble trait,
he overlooked the desires and opinions of
the other senators. They realized that he
was dictator, and if he continued to be so
he would hold all the power and do any-
thing his heart desires. The senators
didnt think this was good, to have one
mans vision rule an empire. So, a plot
was developed in which he had to die. Ju-
liuss death was a product of his failure to
see how his fellow politicians felt ne-
glected. A famous orator, William J.H. Bo-
etcker, once said, You can employ men
and hire hands to work for you, but you
will have to win their hearts to have them
work with you. This shows that if the
people that support you arent on your
side, you cant win. People have learned
from Julius Caesars mistakes. In todays
society, no well-designed civilizations
have dictators. They have parties, which
are groups that support the same ideas.
19
They debate and vote on changes, so the
only changes that get past are wanted by
the majority of the country. All in all, hav-
ing the people that you depend on on
your side is the only option to be success-
ful. Standing alone is the worst way to
get what you desire. As Abraham Lincoln
said, A house divided against itself can-
not stand. Caesar stood alone, and met
his end as a result.
Political Leadership of Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar is a perfect role model
for leaders. He helped people in need,
protected himself from harm, made every-
one in Rome happy, and was hailed as a
god at the end of it. So, naturally, I would
want my civilization to be like him. Sure,
he made some mistakes, such as forcing
people to marry and have children to
gain economical benets, but overall he
improved the Roman citizens quality of
life. I would want my leader to renovate
and build public infrastructure. Building
public structures is important to civiliza-
tions, for example, it is stated in the text,
Augustus began a program to make
20
Rome safer and more beautiful. This pro-
gram included restoring 82 temples and
building new statues, theaters, and a
large outdoor arena, or forum (Frey). If I
ruled in the Roman Era, this would be an
important part of my reign. I think that
my civilization would be well ruled if my
leader took ideas from the rule of Augus-
tus Caesar.
The Decline of the Western Roman
Empire
The main reason Rome collapsed as a na-
tion was because of political corruption.
This is easy to see, because if a corrupt
politician keeps tax money and shares it
with his friends, the city doesnt get the re-
sources and refurbishing it needs. A
leader needs to give his resources to the
people, or they will not get nearly enough
of what they need. A corrupt politician
can cause economic and physical dam-
age, all the while undermining Rome as a
nation. Rome began its decline when it
fell into a state of crippled morals and
evil politicians that only had an interest
21
in making money. When these dishonest
leaders climbed the ranks, more damage
was caused to the structure of the Roman
Empire. To further back up my point, in
the text it is stated, The choice was al-
ways open to debate between the old em-
peror, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard
(the emperor's's private army), and the
army. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard
gained complete authority to choose the
new emperor and in 186 C.E., the army be-
gan the practice of selling the throne to
the highest bidder. During the next 100
years, Rome had 37 different emperors -
25 of whom were removed from ofce by
assassination. This contributed to the
overall weaknesses of the empire (Frey).
In McAdoo, I will take great measures to
make sure that this shall not happen in
the structure of my government by install-
ing new rules to keep out corruption.
First off, the pay of politicians will di-
rectly correlate to the approval ratings of
the citizens. There will be no political par-
ties, so the citizens are not biased against
a politician for his party, so everyone has
a cleans opinion on each person. If a poli-
ticians approval rating drops below 49%
and stays there for more than 3 months,
they are removed from their position.
Also, the people can petition to impeach
an ofcial, and if 51% of the population
votes for it, they are immediately ousted.
22
A conference will take place every month
for people to propose impeachments. Any
citizen found using their vote to under-
mine the government will meet swift and
horrible punishment, if 100% solid evi-
dence is presented. Otherwise, they will
be released with a warning. Any politi-
cian directly involved in a scandal will be
removed immediately, and nobody with a
criminal record can enter a political posi-
tion. Using these laws, political corrup-
tion will be stamped out in my civiliza-
tion.
23
CHAPTER 5
24
Systems of Belief
Why do civilizations need a belief
system?
Civilizations bond based on their belief
systems. Religious festivals bring the peo-
ple together, the laws keep people in
check, and moral values make people
kind to one another. Some civilizations
are still known today by their belief sys-
tems, such as the Egyptians, which are
know for their hieroglyphic writing, beau-
tiful pyramids and temples, and way of
life. All of these things came to be be-
cause the people had a belief system. Be-
liefs can be responsible for beautiful archi-
tecture, and sacrosanct ceremonies. If peo-
ple didnt believe there was a difference
between right and wrong, the civilization
would go haywire. Having the citizens
share beliefs is the best way to keep every-
thing running smoothly.
MORAL DILEMMAS: A CALLOUS
PASSERBY
IF ROGER WERE A HINDU:
If Roger were a Hindu, he would
have to save the boy or risk infringing
upon his Dharma. It is his duty to himself
and the world to save the boy. Also, he
would get bad Karma, meaning not only
that he would be affected in a bad way by
something else. Also, he risks being re-
25
born into a lower caste, which is not some-
thing he wants to happen. The principles
of Hinduism are that people should love
and help one another. This is backed up
by Freys text, as it states, Another basic
teaching is nonviolence. Hindus believe
that all life forms have a soul, so Hindus
respect all forms of life and avoid doing
them harm (148). Because of this, Roger
would never let a helpless soul die when
he could prevent it so easily. Therefore,
Roger would be forced to jump in the wa-
ter to save the child, as he is bound by his
religion. Hindus also value kindness, and
to let a child die because you dont want
to deal with the inconvenience of sav-
ing them would render him a bad Hindu,
and would be reborn into a lower caste,
or lower form of life.
IF ROGER WERE A BUDDHIST:
If Roger were a Buddhist, he would be
forced to save the child because of the
Buddhas Eightfold Paths teachings.
First off, he would be directly violating
the path of Right Effort, which teaches
followers to promote good actions and
prevent evil ones (Frey 159). If he saved
the child, he would be giving effort for
good intentions, which follows that path.
But if he did not, he would be promoting
evil just because he didnt wish to put
26
any effort into saving him. Therefore, he
would be violating one of Buddhas teach-
ings, and as a result would be a non-
devoted Buddhist. Also, he would be vio-
lating two other paths, Right Action and
Right Purpose, which mean to not lie,
kill, or steal, and to live a life of seless-
ness, love, and nonviolence. He would ba-
sically be killing the boy by choosing to
let him die when he can be saved so eas-
ily, and be very selsh to not put the time
in to save him. Also, he is causing suffer-
ing and pain for the child, which is taboo
in the Buddhist religion. Overall, Roger
would have to save the child due to his
moral values.
IF ROGER WERE CONFUCIANIST
If Roger were a Confucianist, he would
be morally obligated to save the boy, not
because of his religious teachings, but be-
cause Confucianists also have the basic
moral obligations of a human being. Con-
fucianists do not follow teachings of com-
passion; rather, they follow the teachings
of knowledge. In the text, it states, The
goal of Confucianism is a just and peace-
ful society (Frey 208). They also sanctify
their relationships, but Roger Smith has
none of the 5 Basic Relationships with
the boy. Therefore, it isnt his religion that
will motivate him to save the boy, but his
27
humanity. Also, since Roger has been a
seeker of knowledge for a period of time,
he surely has the knowledge that if he
doesnt save the boy, letting him die will
be on his conscience for the rest of his
years, if he has any feelings at all. There-
fore, he should know that the best possi-
ble route he could take would be to dive
in and get the child to safety. Although
Confucianism technically doesnt require
it, he should be motivated to do it any-
ways.
CONCLUSION
Overall, having a common set of beliefs is
important to all civilizations, because it
does a lot of good. To have people think-
ing along the same guidelines is the easi-
est way to keep everyone in line, and
have a rich culture at the same time. It
doesnt matter whether the beliefs are re-
ligious or plain old moral values, as long
as the beliefs are for good, everything will
work much smoother as a result. People
will have something in common, crime
will be discouraged, and everyone will be
happier as a whole.
28
Introduction Question
How did the Fall of Rome and
the threat of Barbarians lead
to the rise of Feudalism and
the Catholic Church?
The Fall of Rome provided an easy oppor-
tunity for Vikings and other barbarians
to come and slaughter Europe's citizens,
due to the fact that no central govern-
ment existed anymore. So, as a result, Feu-
dalism rose is the absence of the Roman
Empire. With the absence of their anti-
Christian laws, Christianity ourished,
and the Roman Catholic Church became
very prominent. The Pope became very
powerful, and religion became a huge
authority in Europe. But, people needed
protection, so Monarchs recruited
knights to solve that issue. They also
xed the peoples need for order. The
monarchs granted efs to their nobles in
exchange for knights and peasants, and
the nobles were granted manors. These
manors were quite large, and consisted of
a manor house, one or more villages,
and up to several thousand acres of land
divided into meadow, pasture, forest, and
cultivated elds (Ross 1). With all of this
power and land, they provided for the
monarchs, and society fell into a quid-
pro-quo state. At this point, and with
these resources, feudalism began to our-
ish.
29
My Civilizations Morals
In an effort to create a successful civiliza-
tion, the people of McAdoo have estab-
lished their own belief system. It shares
similar religious beliefs and teaching with
other world religion and helps the people
of McAdoo live with strong moral values.
Here are some examples.

McAdoos rst moral value is Kuwashi:
Bravery and courage. The people of my
civilization need to be courageous and
take risks for others, as that is the noble
and right way to live. A civilization laced
with cowardice is a faulty civilization.
People will also be more motivated to
join the military, resulting in an all-
powerful empire. If everyone is brave,
people will not be afraid to stand up for
themselves, and will be more motivated
and ambitious. More people will voice
their opinions, and we will have a more
stable government overall. During WWII,
Winston Churchill said, Courage is what
it takes to stand up and speak; courage is
also what it takes to sit down and listen.
This shows that having courage can make
people have a voice, but can also give
them the strength to calm down and be
civilized.
30
The second moral value adopted by the
people of McAdoo is the value of Astolor,
which embodies individualism. The peo-
ple of McAdoo are not expected to be
alike, and are encouraged to show who
they truly are through any means possi-
ble. My civilization is one that needs to
have culture, and have interesting people
that dont try to be like others. As Jos
Mart once said, The rst duty of a man
is to think for himself. This means that
one who thinks alike others is not their
own person, but rather a machine that
works to be like others. Hindus believe
in Dharma, which is your duty to society.
Society isnt whole and cultured if you
are a copy of everyone else, so by being
your own person, you are making society
more balanced. All in all, Astolor is an im-
portant way of thinking, and is the best
path to having an enriched society.
The last moral value of the people is
Mortesse, which symbolizes kindness.
When people learn to be kind to one an-
other, peace is inevitable. When everyone
loves each other, they feel better, work bet-
ter, and live better. This all stems from
simply being kind. When the civilization
learns to be kind, the leaders are fairer,
the people are happy, and everything
moves smoothly. Although it is the sim-
plest, most obvious moral value, it easily
reaps in the most benets. In Islams
Sharia Law, Akhlaq represents ethics. Eth-
31
ics is a larger puzzle that kindness is a
piece in. If someone doesnt have kind-
ness, they dont have ethics. Therefore,
Akhlaq is a broad term that includes kind-
ness. Overall, Mortesse is an important
ethic for every citizen to have, and can
heal a broken civilization efciently and
quickly.
Sacred Space Paragraph
Respect everyone around you, because
our society is one of happiness, not indif-
ference and disdain.
Help others whenever possible, so when
someone has to do something tough, they
can count on those around them to help
them through it.
Set a positive example, because people
will follow what they see others doing.
In the text, it states that 2 of the Buddhas
teachings in the Eightfold Path are
Right Purpose: Live a life of selessness,
love, and nonviolence (Frey 159), and
Right Effort: Promote good actions and
prevent evil actions (Frey 159). This ties
in with my civilizations moral values of
helping others whenever possible and be-
ing respectful to everyone.
32
One of the sacred spaces I built is a shrine
hidden in a cave. It is easily reachable by
citizens, but secluded at the same time. It
is a peaceful place for citizens to be alone
in, and is the burial site of the citys foun-
der, McAdoo. The sarcophagus is in the
center of the room, framed with re for
air. It will remind my citizens that he
was a benevolent, helpful person and as a
result will make them strive to be the
same.
Major Political Changes
Feudalism began its downward spiral due
to a lot of different factors, starting with the
Magna Carta. This document took some
power away from the nobles (which
needed lot of power for feudalism to func-
tion), and gave some to the poor. Now, the
poor can get more of what they want, start-
ing with fairer laws. But then, the Bubonic
Plague (also known as the Black Death)
came and swept away 1/3 of Europes
population. With eas spreading it all
around Europe, the people became scared
and unproductive until it was over. When it
did end, peasants were higher in demand
due to the decrease in their numbers, and
they had even more power as a result. Fast
forward to 1337, the Hundred Year War is
just starting to ame up. France states that
the English efs on their land belong to
them, and all hell breaks loose for around a
century. This chaos causes the peoples be-
liefs to change, and for the government to
33
spend more time focusing on war rather
than their people. Joan of Arc then took it
upon herself to save her country, which ulti-
mately ended with her going up in ames
at the hands of the English after a number
of successful battles were won by the
French that she led. Overall, these events
strung together to make the people want a
different way of life, sparking the begin-
ning of the Renaissance.
Preparing for the Renaissance
The Bubonic Plague started the transition
from the Middle Ages to the Rise of Hu-
manism for many reasons. First off, Feu-
dalism was the main piece of the Middle
Ages, and when the Black Death swept
away the peasants (which were the foun-
dation of the system), it fell. With Feudal-
ism gone, people have freedom, and there-
fore can begin to learn, create, and start a
more cultured society. Also, the plague
killed off a large portion of Europe, for ex-
ample, The odds of surviving are not
good for serfs, or clerics, since they
tended the sick (Hand), and therefore
created much more room for expansion.
The economy was no longer bad, because
people went from having to little to
please everyone to having an extra third
of everything they had. Now the money
that belonged to the dead belongs to the
living, which are many fewer than they
were before. With all of this newfound
34
money and housing, people and pursue
the arts and pleasure, which were huge in
the Renaissance. And lastly, the plague
took away some of the Churchs power.
No longer did the Church have an iron
grip on the actions of every individual in
Europe, but now people were less afraid,
and had the courage to do what they
wanted without their consent. Although
they were still the largest power, their
numbers were fewer, and people had
seen how death swept through their soci-
ety and how they could do nothing about
it, proving they werent superhuman or
more protected than anyone else. Overall,
the plague ushered in the Renaissance
and the Age of Enlightenment, and al-
though the means that it did so were not
pleasant, it was the largest change in
Europe to make the transition happen.
Gallery 5.1 Minecraft Builds
35
An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.
~Oscar Wilde
CHAPTER 6
36
The Power of Ideas
Renaissance and Humanism Post #1
Humanists brought on many great
changes that shaped Europe as a whole
for the better. Europe used to be a relig-
ious mass of people following the Church
like sheep. But alas, humans are not able
to believe in something blindly forever,
eventually they will need proof if they are
going to keep giving their money and
land to the Church. People began to ques-
tion the beliefs people had followed loy-
ally for centuries. The people began to
have more power, while groups such as
the Church had less of an iron grip on so-
ciety. The humanists started to see the
endless power of knowledge that had not
been harnessed thus far, and realized that
people should begin to live as individu-
als, not as a group. Also, the fact that peo-
ple were born into their classes for the
rest of their lives was nally seen to be un-
fair, and people started to realize that eve-
ryone should have a shot at moving up.
People also began to work on improving
science, math, literature, and art. People
such as Leonardo da Vinci became some
of the greatest legends of all time due to
their advances in all of these categories.
Machines were invented (the Flying Ma-
chine, Printing Press, weaponry, etc.), al-
gorithms were drawn up, books and scrip-
tures were written on every subject, and
art became 3D and detailed. This was all
due to the ways of thinking that the hu-
manists introduced to society. They didnt
37
bash religion, but rather they ...sought to
balance religious faith with an emphasis
on individual dignity and an interest in
nature and human society (Frey 320).
This shows that the humanists ushered in
the era of balancing faith with individual
achievement. All in all, Europe greatly
benetted from the humanists' ideas, and
continued to for many centuries.
Renaissance and Humanism Post #2
The great ideas introduced by the human-
ists would be greatly benecial to my c-
tional society for many reasons. First off,
they helped install a fair government sys-
tem that worked for everyone. If the ideas
such as a people-driven government and
equal rights were implemented into my
own civilization, we would be much
more effective. Second off, their belief sys-
tem would help immensely. Having the
perfect balance between faith and individ-
ual growth is the way for my civilization
to go. It is anti-effective to have a very re-
ligious society, as very little would get
done. When the perfect balance between
the two is created, life will be much better
38
for everyone, religious and non-religious.
Lastly, their culture would bring a lot of
life and commerce to my lands. The beau-
tiful sculptures created by humanists
would inspire beautication of buildings,
the artists would inspire painting, the edu-
cation would produce a whip-crack smart
population, and the architecture would al-
low for beautiful and much more efcient
buildings. As Walter Pater once said,
The Renaissance of the fteenth century
was, in many things, great rather by what
it designed then by what it achieved (Pa-
ter 1). This shows that the humanists not
only achieved some of the greatest feats
known to man, but they also brought
ideas that designed the future of discov-
ery for others. All in all, if the concepts
brought by the humanists were intro-
duced into McAdoo, it would be much
more prosperous as a whole.
39
The Protestant Reformation: Post #1
During the Renaissance, people began to
see the corruption behind the Catholic
Churchs actions. The population didnt
really know why the Church said every-
one had to worship and live well to gain
salvation, but when they needed money,
all you needed to do was buy their indul-
gences, meaning you could kill, lie, and
steal and still gain entry to heaven. Also,
they began to practice simony, meaning
they sold their leadership positions off to
the highest bidder. Theoretically, a heretic
thief could bludgeon a wealthy man to
death, take his money, and use it to be-
come a bishop, making him one of soci-
etys most respected members. People be-
gan to realize that practices such as these
were unsuitable for the Church to be prac-
ticing.
Martin Luther was one of the most promi-
nent men from the Renaissance that
spoke out against the abuse of power go-
ing on inside the Catholic Church. He put
together a list of every misuse of their
power that they practiced, called the
Ninety Five Theses. They spoke out on
the commonly distorted doctrine of the
Catholic Church, just as John Wycliffe
did in his satirical texts. His ideas differed
from the Churchs for many reasons. First
off, the Church thought that they could
sell indulgences to raise the funds to
build the St. Peters Cathedral, while this
40
same concept bothered Martin Luther to
no end. Also, he believed that they had
been abusing their power for much too
long, while the Church believed they
were being fair. Also, the Church was al-
ready in turmoil due to the Great Schism,
so when Martin Luther came onto their ra-
dar, they tolerated absolutely nothing
from him. These drove Martin Luther to
taking the necessary steps to begin his
own denomination of the Catholic
Church, Lutheranism.
Martin Luther was a prominent German
scholar and religious gure that was fed
up with the Catholic Church and its
many forms of corruption. Therefore, af-
ter he spoke out against them, people lis-
tened to him and saw the truth in his
words. Thus, the Church was determined
to get rid of him. But they couldnt just
stroll in and burn him at the stake like
they had to others that crossed them such
as Jan Hus, as he was too popular and
that would only serve to make them more
hated than they already were. So, as a re-
sult, they forbade the selling and distribu-
tion of his writings. They drove him into
hiding for a while, too. When there was a
peasant revolt that involved 10,000 poor
workers putting their lives on the line,
everyone expected Martin Luther to
emerge from his slumber. But alas, he did
not, and all of the peasants were slaugh-
tered. As a reward from the rich princes
that opposed the peasants, they gave him
41
the money to found his own branch of
Christianity, Lutheranism.
Famous Renaissance Figure: Post #2
The individual that would benet my civi-
lization the most from the Renaissance
would most denitely be Leonardo da
Vinci. As said by Frey, "He was endlessly
curious. He did not accept anything as
true until he proved in himself" (Frey
329).
His ideas advanced the principles of sci-
ence, art, and general knowledge during
the Renaissance. His invented machines
ranging from small trinkets to huge ying
machines. People around this time were
trying to learn as much about the Earth as
they could, so naturally, great thinkers
such as Leonardo were revered for their
efforts and successes. Throughout his life,
42
he made discoveries in every category of
science, art, literature, etc., and therefore
helped the people advance in every one
of the aforementioned types of learning.
His studies also didn't only help him dis-
cover new things, but also paved the way
for others to improve upon his work and
learn even more in depth on the subjects
that Leonardo was studying, including
different branches of those subjects.
If Leonardo became a member of my civi-
lization, we would ourish with the help
of his studies and inventions. We would
learn much more about the world and
everything in it, and his inventions
would aid us in every aspect of life. His
inventions would also increase our power
and efciency, and overall, we would be-
come a much more structured, knowled-
gable society. His incredible progress in
every part of life would make life in-
nitely easier, and since we don't have an
oppressive Church to stie his work, he
would be able to make even more discov-
eries and accomplishments than he made
during the Renaissance. During his time,
he of course had supporters, but in my
civilization he would be payed, every-
thing he needed would be payed for, and
whatever he wanted to aid his work
would be granted. Because of this, he
would have the tools to learn EVEN
MORE, and as a result, McAdoo would
benet greatly from his studies, writings,
and knowledge.
43
44
CHAPTER 7
45
Bibliography
http://vitalministries.org/my_devotions/come-and-drink/#.U4YY62QwxjY
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/leonardos-notebook-digitize
d-in-all-its-befuddling-glory/273042/
http://www.arthistory.ucla.edu/home/6-spot-light/46-faculty-bookshelf
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4404098/Da-Vinci-unsuccessful
ly-tests-a-ying-machine--January-3--1496
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4HGZ1_leonardo-da-vinci
47

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WHAT MAKES A CIVILIZATION SUCCESSFUL?

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