What is West.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Amadeus85
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 26
  • Views Views 5K
A

Amadeus85

IB Expert
Messages
2,165
Reaction score
219
Gender
Male
Religion
Christianity
By Philippe Nemo- What is West

West is :
- freedom under reigns of law and education for all ( tradition of ancient Greece)
- law written in clear formula, private possesion, respecting a person (tradition of ancient Rome)
-compassion coming from judeo- christian tradition,
-morality based on compassion, protest against evil,
West is inscription of this biblical tradition by popes from XI- XIII A.D in peaceful and rational historical process, in acts order, which is based on synthesis of Athens, Rome and Jerusalem.
West is finally liberal democracy, which guarantees people a proper level of life and, which is not less important, it enables people aim to goal given by judeo-christian tradition- reforming the world with knowledge and law.
 
Aaron85 said:
By Philippe Nemo- What is West

West is :
- freedom under reigns of law and education for all ( tradition of ancient Greece)
Click to expand...

Greece didn't exist as a unified nation, in ancient times. They were city-states.

They were also monarchies. There is no freedom under monarchies.

Many Greek scholars/philosophers were persecuted for speaking out.
- law written in clear formula, private possesion, respecting a person
Click to expand...

Respecting the private possession of the elite, not the commoners.

Respecting a rich individual, government and generals. Not the slaves or commoners.
-compassion coming from judeo- christian tradition,
Click to expand...

The term "Judeo-Christian," is very recent. It didn't exist in the ancient world.

Jews and Christians, were mortal enemies. Look how the West treated the Jews. So much for compassion.
-morality based on compassion, protest against evil,
West is inscription of this biblical tradition by popes from XI- XIII A.D in peaceful and rational historical process, in acts order, which is based on synthesis of Athens, Rome and Jerusalem.
Click to expand...

I bet you that the indigenous people of the "New World," don't think so.

Nor the Third World, that was colonized by Western powers.
West is finally liberal democracy, which guarantees people a proper level of life and, which is not less important, it enables people aim to goal given by judeo-christian tradition- reforming the world with knowledge and law.
Click to expand...

Reforming the world with the F-16, Cruise Missiles, Agent Orange, the Tuskeegee Syphyllis Experiments, Depleted Uranium, Cluster Bombs, Napalm, Heroshima & Nagasaki, the Holocaust, Shock & Awe, Fallujah, Guantanamo, etc

Reforming the world, one bomb at a time...
 
Before anything happens: Play nice, everyone. Fighting will lead to thread closure, so please discuss the subject like the civilised people I know you are.
 
There is no doubt that ancient Greece and Rome had a major impact on the development of the West as we know it today. Everything from our style of government, architecture, language, etc. Of course this is all mixed in with Christian morality and law. That is an historical reality.

Of course that doesn't mean the West always lives up to its own ideas. Winston Churchill wrote about this issue fairly well in his book "The History of the English Speaking Peoples"..not sure of the exact title as it isn't in front of me.
 
There are good and bad in every culture and every society. Western philosophies certainly did well to make west move far ahead of the east.
 
West - Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

East - Asia, Africa, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, South America, Carribean, Central America and the Pacific.

..... is it?:?
 
north_malaysian said:
West - Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

East - Asia, Africa, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, South America, Carribean, Central America and the Pacific.

..... is it?:?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've always been a little confused about which nations qualify as West and which East.
 
iqbal_soofi said:
There are good and bad in every culture and every society. Western philosophies certainly did well to make west move far ahead of the east.
Click to expand...
Not Western philosophies, as such. Eastern philsophy is often incorporated into daily life, whereas Western philosophy tends to be solely theory. Maybe Western technology, but I wouldn't say it's philosophical necessarily.
 
Keltoi said:
There is no doubt that ancient Greece and Rome had a major impact on the development of the West as we know it today. Everything from our style of government, architecture, language, etc. Of course this is all mixed in with Christian morality and law. That is an historical reality.

Of course that doesn't mean the West always lives up to its own ideas. Winston Churchill wrote about this issue fairly well in his book "The History of the English Speaking Peoples"..not sure of the exact title as it isn't in front of me.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, here...
 
north_malaysian said:
West - Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

East - Asia, Africa, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, South America, Carribean, Central America and the Pacific.

..... is it?:?
Click to expand...
:sl:

Some people from NZ & OZ, consider themselves to be part of the West. At least from the cultural/historical sense.

But geographically, they're located in Asia.

Even Israel considers itself to be part of the West.

The Israeli ambassador to OZ/NZ stated during an interview, that Israel and OZ/NZ are like 2 white sisters in the midst of the Yellow Race...
 
Keltoi said:
There is no doubt that ancient Greece and Rome had a major impact on the development of the West as we know it today. Everything from our style of government, architecture, language, etc.
Click to expand...

BTW, I forgot to mention this before, But, some of the science that is attributed to Greece and the West in general, was borrowed from the East (pre-Islamic, and from the Islamic Caliphate).

One example of a borrowed item from Ancient Egypt, is the constant PI. I've always been taught that the "Greeks" were the ones who discovered it.

But, it turns out that the ancient Egyptians used it in the building of their Pyramids, 500 years before it was said to be claimed by the "Greeks." I saw that episode on the History Channel (U.S.A.).

Another example of a borrowed item, was from the Islamic Caliphate. There was a recent article which stated that the mathematical designs that were attributed to the West, was actually created by the early Muslims...
 
Zman said:

BTW, I forgot to mention this before, But, some of the science that is attributed to Greece and the West in general, was borrowed from the East (pre-Islamic, and from the Islamic Caliphate).

One example of a borrowed item from Ancient Egypt, is the constant PI. I've always been taught that the "Greeks" were the ones who discovered it.

But, it turns out that the ancient Egyptians used it in the building of their Pyramids, 500 years before it was said to be claimed by the "Greeks." I saw that episode on the History Channel (U.S.A.).

Another example of a borrowed item, was from the Islamic Caliphate. There was a recent article which stated that the mathematical designs that were attributed to the West, was actually created by the early Muslims...
Click to expand...

There is alot of history relating to irrational numbers, speaking of pi, including the Greeks, Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, and on and on. I believe an Egyptian text is the oldest known to give an approximate value of pi. Most of these are cases of several civilizations coming to the same conclusion. I seriously doubt whether Archimedes of Syracuse got the idea from anybody other than himself. Of course, the effect of pi on the advancement of Western civilization is probably not that great.

As for mathematical designs, I'm not sure what you're referring to.
 
Muezzin said:
Not Western philosophies, as such. Eastern philsophy is often incorporated into daily life, whereas Western philosophy tends to be solely theory. Maybe Western technology, but I wouldn't say it's philosophical necessarily.
Click to expand...

Then, maybe you don't know what's philosophy.
 
Zman said:
The Israeli ambassador to OZ/NZ stated during an interview, that Israel and OZ/NZ are like 2 white sisters in the midst of the Yellow Race...
[/i]
Click to expand...

OZ/NZ are in the midst of the Yellow Race

But Israel is surrounded by Arabs who are not Yellows.

An example of yellow people ---------------> :okay:
 
Keltoi said:
It's okay, I was engaged to a "yellow" woman once. Plus I like the food. I have no problem at all being surrounded by yellow people. :D
Click to expand...

The term Yellow is not applicable to all Asians right?

I think the Yellows should be Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Indo-Chinese, Thais, Tibetans and some Malays, Indonesians, Burmese and Central Asians. (Maybe I should include the Eskimos too):?

Examples of people:

Yellow people --------------> :okay:
Red people -----------------> :phew
Green people ---------------> +o(
Orange people --------------> :scared:
Black people ----------------> :offended:
White people ---------> :skeleton: (sorry, that's the only white smiley available)
 
north_malaysian said:
The term Yellow is not applicable to all Asians right?

I think the Yellows should be Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Indo-Chinese, Thais, Tibetans and some Malays, Indonesians, Burmese and Central Asians. (Maybe I should include the Eskimos too):?

Examples of people:

Yellow people --------------> :okay:
Red people -----------------> :phew
Green people ---------------> +o(
Orange people --------------> :scared:
Black people ----------------> :offended:
White people ---------> :skeleton: (sorry, that's the only white smiley available)
Click to expand...

Asians don't look yellow anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Although the Chinese and Koreans are probably the most light-skinned Asians.
 
Keltoi said:
Asians don't look yellow anyway
Click to expand...

They do.... especially when they got the "Yellow Fever"..... :D

Keltoi said:
Although the Chinese and Koreans are probably the most light-skinned Asians.
Click to expand...

Actually the Japanese are the most light-skinned Asians.

But in the age of "I want to look good".... many Japanese and Koreans are having tanned-skins...

But the Chinese are not really light-skinned...

Meanwhile many dark-skinned Asians (especially the women) are using skin whitening products...
 
north_malaysian said:
They do.... especially when they got the "Yellow Fever"..... :D



Actually the Japanese are the most light-skinned Asians.

But in the age of "I want to look good".... many Japanese and Koreans are having tanned-skins...

But the Chinese are not really light-skinned...

Meanwhile many dark-skinned Asians (especially the women) are using skin whitening products...
Click to expand...

lol..yeah I suppose it depends on which Chinese or Japanese person you run into. Being half Native American they seem lighter skinned to me.
 

Similar Threads

Back
Top