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ISLAMIC MEDICAL EDUCATION RESOURCES

8.3 WEST EUROPEAN EMPIRE(S), al dawlat al uuribiyyat al gharbiyyat

By Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.

8.3.1 GROWTH OF IDEAS ON SOCIETY and RELIGION

Renaissance, a return to the Greco-roman cultural roots, occurred in the period 1350-1600M and led to secularism (separation of religion from state). Secularism had become necessary because Europeans had turned their back on Christianity and were returning to their Greco-Roman religions. The protestant reformation movement arose in the 16th century M as a revolt against church corruption. Enlightenment was use of reason in religion, politics, and the arts. Social reform movements in the 19th century arose to improve conditions for the disadvantaged. Classicism, romanticism, realism, and impressionism developed as art forms. In the industrial revolution the main economic thinking was laisser-faire capitalism. This was challenged by socialism that asserted that means of production must be controlled by society either directly or indirectly through the government. Karl Marx set out to provide a scientific basis for socialism.

 

8.3.2 POLITICS

In the 1500s and 1600s European monarchs created powerful kingdoms that were absolute and ruled by divine right in England, Spanish, France, and Prussia. The English, French, and American revolutions challenged absolute monarchies and established the principle of constitutional government. The revolutions were followed by political reforms. The age of exploration starting in 1492 M was the prelude to West European overseas empires. Imperialism was both economic and cultural. Europeans were able to occupy, control, and exploit many parts of the world because of their demographic strength, strong government, effective organization and management, determination to achieve objectives by any means including extreme cruelty on the argument that the end justifies the means, use of treachery and deceit, and inter-European competition, and inter-European collaboration.

 

8.3.3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The scientific revolution started with renaissance and reformation. When the authority of the church was questioned in the reformation everything was questioned including long-held scientific dogmas. Empiricism developed and replaced the previous concepts based on speculation and not empirical research. Francis Bacon developed the scientific method emphasizing empiricism. Rene Descartes developed rationalism. Based on empirical observation and experimentation, new ideas developed on the cosmos and in medical, biological and chemical sciences. Technological improvement led to the agricultural revolution starting in the 1750s. Farmers who became rich because of the agricultural revolution invested their money in industry to start the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution had its beginnings in the 1850s. It started in England and spread to Belgium, France, and Germany. Under the commercial revolution, European capitalism contributed to rapid economic growth in the form of increased production of goods, increased standards of living, and trade exchange.

 

8.3.4 DECLINE OF WESTERN EUROPE

European decline was hastened by two great civil wars in 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. The two wars were actually one war with an interlude of 20 years. They caused demographic and economic devastation. European economies had become so weak that they needed rescue by the US under the Marshall plan starting in 1947. These wars weakened Europe so much that it was forced to give up its overseas territories. By 1990 virtually all former colonies were once again independent. Europe emerged from the second war as a second rate power dependent on the US for its economy and security

 

8.3.5 RETURN TO ROME

The return to the Roman era European system is manifesting in increasing economic and political integration of Europeans under the European Union. These moves towards European unity cannot however reverse basic causes of civilizational weakness that are manifesting as break-down of the family, falling populations, addiction to drugs, lack of purpose and vigor among the youths.

(c) Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. 2004