Question about the Middle Ages in Western Europe....?

Question

I know this is probably a pretty broad question...but I was wondering how Western Europe transformed from a sparsely populated, technologically declined, and barbaric place into the world's wealthiest, best educated, MOST technologically advanced civilization in the world? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer 1

It's not a politically correct answer, but it will stand up to scrutiny:
Christianity.

There are at least seven reasons for this:

1) Christianity posited a rational Creator God who created a rational world/universe that therefore operated according to rational, observable, deduceable laws that were just waiting to be discovered. This idea made the scientific method possible in Europe, whereas a lack of suitable philosophical underpinning made it stall in the rest of the civilized world.

2) Contrary to popular modern belief, medieval Christianity was not afraid of change. Quite the contrary, they welcomed it. They were re-building the world! The attitude that drove Christian missionaries to the Celts, Slavs and Germanic tribes, also fueled technological advances like shoes for horses, water and windmills, better farming techniques, architectural advances like flying buttresses, etc.

3) Manumission. Christian theologians came to the conclusion that because *all* men were made in the image of God, and because *everyone* has a soul, that slavery was sinful. It took several centuries, but slavery was vitually abolished in Europe (except in Moorish Spain, Viking Scandinavia, and in fringe areas like Italy, where slaves would show up occasionally brought by traders from the East or Africa). From the 6th century onward, Christians divested themselves of slavery - evidence of which attested to in the hundred upon hundreds of "manumission" documents from the period (manumission means to set free).

That slavery was re-introduced in the 1440s is another sad story altogther. Some of the things the "Renaisance" revived from ancient times were not pretty.

4) Monks both preserved the learning of ancient times by copying the books, and spent centuries digesting and debating it. It is true that the average person was illiterate, but the ideas trickled down. A major breakthrough was in the 11th and 12th century when a great many Greek texts were translated in Latin, the eclesiastical and trade language of western Europe.

5) The Monastic movement actually helped settle Europe because their constant search for isolated places for contemplation meant that they were constantly pushing the boundaries of the frontier. Of course, after a monestary (and it's church) was established, there would soon be farms (to feed the monks) and a hospital (to shelter both the sick and travellers). And pretty soon there would often be a town.

6) The pilgrimage road. Christian churchs and abbeys often kept "relics" - clothing or the mortal remains of various saints. The medieval Christian was often motivated to go visit these shires. This lead to the creation of a vast network of pilgrimage roads across Europe - and a great many people who traveled them. Travel was slow - almost everybody walked - but they did travel and this, of course led to the sharing of ideas.

7) The university system that was established at cloister schools (Christian institutions) in the 12th century. It both transmitted ancient learning and challenged it. It thrived on innovation. Students were not expected to memorize by rote; instead they were expected to be able to *explain* what they read. Likewise, faculty recieved prestige (and lucrative offers to come teach at other universities) by showing innovative thought.

This attitude of innovation meant that when something new was brought in, people tried to figure out ways to *use* it. A case in point: the compass was discovered/invented in China. However, in China, being able to find north reliably was considered something of a triffle, a novelty. The most common use for the compass was the "proper" alignment of houses (early Fung Shui). However, when the compass was introduced to Europe, it spread like wildfire. Within a decade practically every sailor and mapmaker had one.

You should note that the tragedy of the plague of "Black Death" in the mid-forteenth century depopulated Europe and created an atmosphere of fear that in turn generated a lot of superstition. However, to see all of the middle ages through the lens of the 14th century is a mistake. Unfortunately, it's a mistake that most Enlightenment era philosophers and historians made and their mistake has given up our skewed picture of the "backwards" and "barbaric" middle ages.

Finally, this is not directly related to Christianity, but the "fall" of Rome (more accurately the end of Roman hegeomony in the West) was actually a good thing. Without the central bureacracy of Rome, Europe splintered into dozens of smaller political units that experienced far greater freedom than they had under the Empire. This allowed for degrees of experiementation in a lot of areas that were not possible under a centralized goverment.

Answer 2

That's a great question. I think that there are probably three general ansewers: 1) Necessity is the mother of all invention. As towns became more crowded with people again, they were forced to innovate. 2) The Ancients had done alot of technological advancement (think of what the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians accomplished) This learing was not lost but rather lay dormant until people could re-access it again due to need. 3) Conqeruing and plundering other nations meant taht not only did Western Europe fill its coffers again but also that they were able to "borrow" learning from other peoples. With greater wealth comes the "leisure time" to pursue other endeavours such as art, music, literature etc.

Answer 3

The university system in Europe kept learning alive. Visits by Marco Polo brought back knowledge of gunpowder and weapons developed. Warfare in Europe led to armor and improved ships. The search for more eastern riches led to the accidental discovery of the Americas where much wealth poured into Europe.