Western culture, sometimes equated with the civilization of the same name, lifestyle, is a very widely used term to refer to the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems and specific artifacts and technologies that have some associations with Europe.
This term applies to countries whose history is closely linked to European immigration. For example, the countries of the Americas, Australia, and not limited to the continent of Europe.
Characteristic
Western culture is characterized by many artistic, philosophical, literary and legal topics and traditions. The legacy of Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Jewish, Slavic, Latin and other ethnic and linguistic groups, as well as Christianity, which played an important role in the formation of Western civilization, at least from the 4th century.
She also contributed to Western thought, in antiquity, and then to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the tradition of rationalism in various spheres of life, developed by Hellenistic philosophy, scholasticism, humanism, scientific revolution and Enlightenment.
The values of Western culture throughout history have been based on political thought, the widespread use of rational arguments. And also in favor of freedom of thought, assimilation of human rights, the need for equality and democracy.
Development
Historical records of Western culture in Europe begin with Ancient Greece and Rome. It continued to develop from Christianization in the Middle Ages, went through a period of reform and modernization of the Renaissance, the globalization of European empires, which spread the Western way of life and educational methods throughout the world between the XVI and XX centuries.
European culture developed in parallel with a complex spectrum of philosophy, medieval scholasticism and mysticism, Christian and secular humanism. Rational thinking developed over the years of change, the development of education, and was accompanied by Enlightenment experiments and breakthroughs in the sciences.
Thanks to its global connections, European culture has evolved, coupled with an all-encompassing desire to accept, adapt and ultimately influence other cultural trends around the world.
The trends that have come to define modern Western societies include the existence of political pluralism, outstanding subcultures or countercultures, and increased cultural syncretism as a result of globalization and human migration.
Basic concept
Western culture is an incredibly broad term used to describe social norms, belief systems, traditions, customs, values, etc. that have formed in Europe or are based on European culture. For example, America is part of this culture. The east coast of the United States was originally a British colony, and as America became an independent state, it absorbed many elements of European culture.
French, Spanish, and British are all subcategories of the broader concept of Western culture.
Thus, Europe and most of the western hemisphere represent this culture. Unlike Asia, which belongs to the eastern culture, and Africa, it has its own unique values.
Some of the main characteristics of Western culture include:
- rational thinking;
- individualism;
- Christianity;
- capitalism;
- modern technologies;
- human rights;
- scientific thinking.
Most historians agree that this concept arose among the ancient Greeks. They were the first to build what became known as Western civilization. They developed democracy and achieved significant success in science, philosophy and architecture. Greeks and Romans were actually its founders. From them, it began to spread throughout Europe, and then throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Features of Western Culture
She is considered individualistic. Its representatives are proud that each of them is a special, unique personality. They value individualism. This is one of the main differences between Western and Eastern culture, which, on the contrary, is more collectivist. In the West, individuality and personal rights are more valued. It was here that the concept was formulated that each person should be free:
- Have a free political voice.
- Express yourself freely
- Live freely as you wish.
Christianity is an important component of Western culture. An incredible number of great works of Western art are based on Christianity, such as the painting of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo or The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Although not everyone today is a believing Christian, the influence of religion passes through many layers of cultural and social life.
One of the important events in the history of Christianity that had a profound influence on Western culture was the Protestant Reformation. In fact, it was the European anti-Catholic revolution, provoked in 1517 by the monk Martin Luther. The movement launched by him had tremendous cultural and social consequences. The Protestant Reformation led to a new perception of the world and, ultimately, accelerated the growth of capitalism and individualism.
Another key point in the development of Western culture was Enlightenment. It was an ideological movement, the emergence of which led to numerous contradictions. The Age of Enlightenment began at the end of the XVII century. in England, and reached its peak in France in the 18th century. This period is considered one of the most significant in the development of society.
In general, the stages of the history of Western culture repeat the stages of development of society.
Ancient world
This period includes the great early civilizations of the ancient Near East, Greece and Rome. It was during this period that the emergence of Western philosophy, mathematics, theater, science, and democracy took place. The Romans, in turn, created an empire that spread throughout most of Europe and to all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. They were expert administrators and engineers, considered themselves the heirs of the great civilizations that were before them, in particular, Greece and Egypt.
Middle Ages
In the first half of this millennium, political and economic turmoil occurred in Western Europe, as waves of invasion by migratory peoples destabilized the Roman Empire. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and even among migrating tribes. The Christian Church, led by the Pope, has become the most powerful institution in Western Europe.
Petrarch, who lived in the 14th century, described the early Middle Ages as “dark ages, ” especially when compared to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Scientists of the Renaissance considered the Middle Ages a barbaric period that separated them from the great civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome.
During this period, many great works of art and literature were created, but they mainly focused on the teachings of the church, which is one of the characteristic features of Western culture of the Middle Ages.
By the eleventh century, Western Europe was becoming more stable, and this period is sometimes called the late (or high) Middle Ages. At this time, resumed large-scale construction and restoration of cities. Monasteries have become important learning centers.
Renaissance
At this time, there was a revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture. It was also a period of economic prosperity in Europe. At this time, a new world view was being formed, called humanism, which in its most fundamental updated value for human knowledge and experience of this world (as opposed to focusing mainly on the kingdom of heaven) used ancient Greek and Roman literature and art as a model.
Thanks to the invention of the printing press and the distribution of books, literacy rates in Europe have risen sharply. In 1517, the German theologian and monk Martin Luther challenged the authority of the Pope. The ideas of the Reformation quickly spread, laying the foundation of values, the basis of which was man.
It was during this period that the scientific revolution began, the religious doctrine was replaced, which became a source of understanding of the universe and the place of man in it.
The era of modern times
During this period, the development of Western culture and society took place under the influence of scientific, political and economic revolutions of the XVII and XVIII centuries. In the 17th century, the baroque style was dominant in art. It was a time of conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the growth of power of the great monarchies of Europe. It was also a period of colonization and the formation of national borders of major European powers. The 1700s are often called Enlightenment. Rococo and neoclassical styles appeared in art.
At this time, revolutions occurred in America and France. The emerging middle and working classes launched a centuries-old campaign to conquer political power, challenging control in the hands of the aristocracy and monarchies.
In the 19th century, capitalism became the dominant economic system. The separation of political power was supported by a general improvement in living standards and the first experiments in the field of public education, new achievements of Western culture.
Steam engines and unskilled workers in factories began to replace skilled craftsmen. There was an increase in urban population, primarily due to migration from rural areas.
Modernity
The twentieth century was the most cruel in history. During this period, there were two world wars, the “cold” one, the liquidation of the colonial system, and totalitarian states appeared. At the same time, the 20th century was marked by the struggle for human rights and the growth of global capitalism.
During this period, art became part of a market economy, and began to be seen as a way of personal expression.
