Science, Technology, and Society

• The 3 Countries involved in Historical Highlights are: Medieval, Byzantine, and Renaissance
• Feudalism became popular as people began to focus their attention to certain groups of people who could defend them and their place
• Those who can defend the townsmen became the nobility
• The rest of the townsmen either became merchants or serfs (i.e., peasants) who gave a portion of their produce (or upkeep) to the nobles as payment for their services
• A demand for more produce for the kingdom led the people to devise new ways of farming
• Land development can be done either via crop rotation or via the three-field system
• Land development and supply transport were made faster due to the invention of the heavy plow and the rise of cross-breeding workhorses
• The birth of the plow horse allowed for faster land development because it was faster than an ox
• The plow horse could work for longer hours
• The plow horse also required less maintenance
• With more people came the rise of towns
• Land development equates to more produce, which was exploited by corrupt people and lost to Viking raids
• More produce equates to the expansion of trade
• Since serfs began to work their way to earn their freedom from their nobilities, they earned this in one of three (3) ways:
• Since serfs began to work their way to earn their freedom from their nobilities, they earned this in one of three (3) ways: 1. They offer payment to the nobility; 2. They betray their lords and ally themselves with kings; or 3. Fight to the death
• Byzantine - This period occurred alongside the Medieval Period
• Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire opposite Rome, becoming the central capital that connects Asia and Europe
• The members of the Catholic clergy headed the cityscapes
• With the rise of German ruler Otto I, came the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire
• The continents of Europe and Asia were afflicted with the Bubonic Plague, aka the Black Death
• Affected countries were (in order): China, Italy, France, England, Scandinavia
• It was believed to be carried by Jews, which of course was false
• It was caused by overcrowding and the unsanitary lifestyle of the people back then
• Civil unrest and the rise of the middle class, particularly merchants, earned them a spot in the political circle, causing political anarchy
• Surviving Roman cities were newer and more innovative than the ones in northern Europe, due to their strategic location that attracted trade
• All Byzantine cities crumbled and lost to history
• The Black Death caused a sudden rise of societies and trade due to the revival of towns and cities now spearheaded by merchants
• Leagues and guilds were established to protect merchants and artisans in their chosen trades and promote their works
• The most important leagues of northern Europe were centered in the city of Lubeck near the Baltic Sea, blocking out the competition from the Russians, English, and the Scandinavians
• These eventually decline because of capitalist practices, competition from the monarchy, and the ever-shifting trade routes
• Seafaring saw a gradual rise, with explorations made in Asia, Africa, and the Americas
• The "revival" of towns drove people to seek knowledge in the ancient civilizations
• The development of the printing press made the dissemination of information easier
• Philosophy and the arts became a mainstay in the Renaissance period
• Secularism believes that this world, and this life, is worth studying, urging humans to live their lives to the fullest and not just for preparing for the afterlife;
• Humanism believes that humans are not merely pawns in the Divine Plan, but are capable individuals who can achieve great accomplishments;
• Individualism believes that only an individual can accomplish great things, not just groups of people;
• Skepticism believes that there is nothing wrong in challenging the accepted authorities, values, and/or established secular knowledge
• Philosophers became prolific in this era, with notable philosophers being Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Adam Smith
• Smith noted that the mercantilism of the time was stifling the economy, thus proposing the laissez-faire ("hands-off") policy, where he believed that by reducing monopolies and restrictions, the economy would grow as the people themselves would even out the supply and demand