Western Culture

Western culture has achieved some benefits in today’s world. History’s most influential civilization, The Middle Ages took shape, leaving behind a cultural legacy that survived in today’s Western civilization. In some ways Western Civilization has benefited from the world through technology, increasing the middle class, and developing moral value by helping the less fortunate. It is important to measure the past by examining the education system, and the financial progress of the less fortunate. Financial stability is important in Western cultures today for happiness but money is not the only stimulus for happiness. Happiness can only be measure by an individual’s prospective and not by the judgment of other. Western culture has made some net achements, and it is important to measure these benefits to determine if Western culture is happier or not. Western culture’s progress has been a net benefit to the world by developing modern technology, increasing the middle class and developing moral values. There have been advancements in technology through radio frequency, internet, and wide area networking through the telephone system. Although western culture has been able to develop these technologies, it has replaced social bonds which have caused a reduction in community social actives. The development of technology has increased the middle class population by providing profitable job for families’ financial stabilization. Some people believe that technology eliminates jobs for the working class and technology is not for people that cannot afford higher education. Researches prove that by increasing the middle class there are less unfortunate community. Another net benefit to the world was the development of moral values. People in the Middle Ages were considered royalty, leaders of the church, commoners, or slaves. The higher class felt that they were superior to the peasants, or slaves. As a result, the lords usually were harsh and demanding to their peasants, or slaves. The church leaders often held a great power over the people, much like the lords. Slaves were treated inhuman. In Western culture today slavery is a horrendous act and is punishable by law. Society today has developed moral values by means of helping the less fortunate and assisting communities with food, clothing, and shelter. Society assisting communities with their basic needs, and provides communities with the capability to act in a civilize manor which provides a safe environment for Western culture. By providing jobs through technology which has increased the middle class capability for growth and reducing the less fortunate, Western culture has made a net benefit to society.
It is important for Western culture to measure the past by recognizing history, improving past mistakes, and developing an alterative change. For example, Western culture needs to measure the education system. In the early 1450's the printing press was invented causing massive and rapid cultural changes in Europe and gave people the capability to communicate through reading and writing. By 1870, 20 percent of the adult population was illiterate, and 80 percent were the black communities. By the 1900’s, communities illiterate improved, but still 30 percent of blacks remained illiterate. Statistic showed; by the 20th century there has been a significant improvement for ethnic races capability to obtain a basic education, and financially provide for their families. In Western culture today education determines the financial stability of a community. There are more families that can provide basic needs like food, clothing and, shelter. The more financial stable Western culture is; the more the community can be developed. Western culture should measure the advantages and disadvantages for improvements of education, and the financial stability of families because it is significantly important in the growth of individual, families, and communities in Western culture.
It is hard to determine if Western culture is happier than people in the Middle Ages because happiness is determine by what your environment determine happiness is. Happiness is characterized by a feeling of pleasure, contentment or joy that a person feel; these emotions are subjective. Some people experience temporary or lasting happiness and people find happiness in beauty, environment, helping people, smells, and colors. In today’s culture, money appears to be the root of happiness. People with low income levels demonstrate a significant signs of unhappiness because of their inability to provide basic needs. In 1943 a psychologies name Abraham Maslow developed a pyramid chart which is called today Maslow’s hierarch of need. Maslow’s pyramid describes the stages of growth in humans which are the physiological need, feeling of security, love and belonging, esteem, and self actualization. Maslow describes food, water, clothing, and shelter as a human physiological need, and is a requirement for survival. It is important to understand that money is not the only key to happiness but financial stability can provide for basic need. There are wealth people that are unhappy which eradicate the theory that money is the root of happiness. Happiness is an emotion of an individual state of mind and financial stability provides a security for some basic needs but it does not define contentment.
The Middle Ages shaped ideas, and the Western culture benefited from the past generation’s ideas. It’s human nature to learn from things that work and things that don’t work. Cultures must measure the education system and financial stability of the community to observe the progression of its citizen. For progression, citizens must be able to obtain physiological needs which are a requirement for survival. Once individual physiological needs are obtained than he or she has the capability for happiness. But happiness can be temporary which depends on possessions that make an individual happy, and happiness can be lasting when an individual is doing thing that makes them happy but joy come when he or she has both. Western culture must examine what works and what do not work, make moral changes for the survival of all humanity, and recognize that everyone has the right to achieve their highest potential.