Running head: WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1

Western Civilization

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1. Machiavelli’s The Prince reflects on the values and concepts of the Renaissance. In the

book, he argues that for rulers attempting to maintain unity within their territories, the

ends justify the means. He contemplates on the issues of a ruler and states that a Prince

should tend to be compassionate, trustworthy, humane, honest and religious. However,

the prince may switch to the opposite of the virtues when necessary. He states that a fresh

prince may not observe all of the merits that render men good as he is obliged to contrast

a faith, charity, humanity, and religion if it is necessary for the maintenance of his

government. In summary, the concept states that it is better to be feared than loved.

2. Historical events such as the Renaissance, Reformation, and enlightenment changed the

people’s understanding of the world surrounding them. Renaissance and Reformation

pushed for a return to the origins which meant referring to ancient manuscripts and

studying their historical dimensions through their original languages. Such operations

would result in scientific studies, anthropology, and philosophy which would

consequently cause the sciences of antiquity. The science of antiquity encompassed

studying how the universe functions, developing a calendar and studying various diseases

to formulate their cure. Besides, renaissance involvement with ancient Rome led to

inspiration from the Roman republic. A political model was thus borrowed from Rome

leading to democracy movement during the enlightenment. Towards Enlightenment,

modern science evolved to focus on reasoning, observation, and experimentation. These

activities revolving around science changed enlightened people about the world they

lived in, and they thus concentrated on the application of scientific models to humanistic,

societal, and civil issues.

WESTERN CIVILIZATION 3

3. The French Revolution was as a result of people pushing for their rights. It contended for

the rights of the poor and the wealthy, religious minorities, free blacks and slaves, and

women. The entitlements for the poor and the rich attacked the rule that only let people

with property vote and hold offices. The religious minorities rights on the other hand

aimed at resolving the status of non-Catholics in the country. The free blacks and slaves

aimed at the abolition of the slave trade while women’s rights advocated for equal

political rights with men.

4. During the French revolution, revolutionists believed in the entitlement of individuals to

their verdicts. They advocated for the concept of individual autonomy which refers to the

notion of natural human rights. Natural human rights idea discussed the perception of

oneself and extended its concern to the basics of governance. The revolutionaries used

various methods to implement individual autonomy. Among those methods were

rebelling and threatening the furnished religious communities, restricting the collective

retaliation of the political movements, and exempting the nobles and priests from the

subjection to the natural human rights. The notion of equality encompassed in the natural

human rights advocated for a social system where people would be ranked and accorded

status due to their ability, hard work, and achievement rather than inheritance and social

class liberties. Although the French revolution was supposedly a seminal moment that

would include all people of the society, it contradicted with one of the notions it was

pushing for: equality. The revolution had a gross violation of fairness. For example, the

revolutionists exempted the nobles and the priests from the revolution due to their

position in the society at that time. They did so to facilitate the implementation of natural

human rights. Nevertheless, it was still a violation of equality.