Voltaire's Impact On The Rise Of Western Civilization

The great publicist of the enlightenment, Voltaire, even while he advocated the widening of historical inquiry to embrace social and economic activities and their effect, strongly believed that any objects worthy of historical study were the peeks not the valleys of the achievements of mankind.1 This statement shows that among the civilization that rose, the western civilization is always ahead of the other societies. There is an assumption that western civilization are progressive than Asians. In comparison to the medieval world, view, however believed in a fixed order of things and was theocratic.
It is true that the western civilization started the economic and social activity through the
Industrial revolution. The industrial
revolution began at the United Kingdom in 1750-1850 and spread to the Germany, United States and the rest of the Europe in 1850 – 1950. And in 19502050 it expand through Asia and Brazil .It also started the massive release of additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In the comparison between Industrial Revolution and French revolution, we can see that the two have similarities. The French Revolution was a transformation in society and political. In the start of French Revolution, France becomes a monarchy. The Industrial revolution was resulted to transform agricultural economies to industrial. But it also changed the whole society.
The social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution were significant. As economic activities in many communities moved from agriculture to manufacturing, production shifted from its traditional locations in the home and the small workshop to factories. Large portions of the population relocated from the countryside to the towns and cities where manufacturing

1

Duchesne,Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization, Koninklijke, Brill NV,2011 p. 1

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centers were found. New groups of investors, businesspeople, and managers took financial risks and reaped great rewards.2
There is also similarity in the Dark Ages and in the Industrial Revolution in social stratification. In the Dark Ages, Feudalism flourished in the Western Europe. It is a specific kind of decentralized government which started in Western Europe in ninth century to thirteenth.3
Three elements are considered in the classical Feudalism; the personal (lordship and vassalage), the real or property element (fief) and the decentralized of government and law.4 The lord is the most powerful in this stratification. They are the one who holds the power in economic aspects.
In some cases, some lords are more powerful than the kings. While in the Industrial Revolution, industrialists, bankers and political leaders govern over the ordinary people. Industrialists hold the power in Economic aspects and they also “control” the political system because of the wealth. We can see that the power in this time is in hands of the wealthy.
According to the article, “The Collapse of Western Civilization”, at 2021, political, business and religious leaders refused to accept that the primary sources of the increased of greenhouse effect was the burning of fossil fuels because these fossil fuel companies are owned by powerful business man which control the economic system and a part of political system.
In the start of the Penumbral period, scientist already established organization that communicate relevant science and form the foundation for international governance to protect the planet such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and
2

Porter, Glenn. "Industrial Revolution." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation,
2008.
3
Cantor, Norman, Medieval History: The Life and Death of a Civilization, Second Edition, Macmillan Publishing Co.
Inc. New York, 1969 p. 215
4
Cantor, Norman, Medieval History: The Life and Death of a Civilization, Second Edition, Macmillan Publishing Co.
Inc. New York, 1969 p. 216

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They also pass laws for the saving the environment. Yet, critics find the proposal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions would cost more than it worth.5 Only the scientist knew what’s with the climate change yet political, economic and social institutions hold the power and insisted fossil fuels companies. Scientist was accused of being “alarmist” in order to increase financial support for their enterprise, gain attention or improve their social standing. These scientists also prevent the economic development coping with climate change.
As these phenomenon continues, great damage in the environment happen. Fires, floods, hurricanes and heat waves began to intensify. These cause overall shifting of climate pattern and increase the acidification of the world ocean. According to the author, in 2040, hurricane and tornado regions were depopulating. While in Asia and Africa there is depopulation due to outmigration, starvation because an unprecedented heat wave scorched at the planet and destroy the crops and disease outbreak such as typhus, cholera, dengue fever, yellow fever and AIDS. In this period, we can see that the second Black Death will occur. A new strain of bacterium Yersinia
Pestis will contribute to the second Black Death in Europe and will spread out to Asia and
America. This is similar to the Black Death that happen from 1347-1351 and killed the half of the population. According to contemporary doctors and theologians agreed that the epidemic had both religious and physical cause.6 But in the Second Black Death, it started because of the usage of fossil fuels that increase the emission of greenhouse gases.
In the other hand, there are two main ideologies that dominate the world at this time; positivism and the market fundamentalism.
5

Oreskes, Naomi & Conway, Erik, The Collapse of Western Civilization: A view from the Future, Daedalus, the
Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,2013 p. 42
6
Osheim, Duane J. "Black Death." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

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2013-63299

In Positivism, we only accept things that can be seen. Just like the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of reason where people came to assume that through a judicious use of reason, an unending progress would be possible—progress in knowledge, in technical achievement, and even in moral values.7 They accept the existence of God and of a hereafter, but rejecting the intricacies of Christian theology.
In the other hand, Market Fundamentalism is the exaggerated faith that when markets are left to operate on their own, they can solve all economic and social problems.8 According to the author, the market fundamentalism was a two-pronged ideological system. The first prong held that societal needs were served most efficiently in a free market economic system, individuals respond to each other’s need. The second prong of philosophy maintained that free markets were not merely a good or even the best manner of satisfying material wants: they were the only manner of doing so that did not threaten personal freedom. Then Neoliberalism was established to protect personal liberty. It reacts to the dominant form of Western governance in
the
Renaissance where monarchies are the one who ruled.
It is contrast to control by unjust and arbitrary deposits.
The end of Cold war ignited a slow process of overdue reforms in First People’ Republic of China. But observers in the West, the Soviet Union’s collapse gave rise to an uncritical triumphalism; proof of the absolute superiority of the capitalist system. Then, Communism arises in China. It grew out of the socialist movement in 19th Century. As a political movement, communism sought to overthrow capitalism through a workers’ revolution and establish a system

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8

"Age of Enlightenment." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
Market Fundamentalism — Longview Institute.htm

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2013-63299

in which property is owned by the community as a whole rather than by individuals.9 It also aims to have a classless society. The Great Leap Forward, economic and social plan initiated by Mao
Zedong that in influence by the Thomas More. He was author of Utopia which portrays a society based on common ownership of
property.
As the devastating effects of the Great Collapse began to appear, democratic nations were unwilling and then unable to deal with the crisis such as food shortage, disease outbreak and sea level rose, these government cannot provide what their people need. But in China, which took the steps of liberalization, stay strong and centralized. Neoliberals did more than expose the tragic flaws in their own system: they fostered expansion of the very system of government that they most abhorred. Decentralization and democratization may be considered.10
They are arguing what ideology must be implement but these rulers want the best for themselves and what is good for the economy because only few holds the power. Only the people who are wealthy enough to pay control the leaders. They only want the best for their companies. We must not forget that industrialization brought us to the phase where greenhouses gases are trap in the atmosphere and make the earth temperature warmer. Even if the scientist already warned the people, many of these people knew what was happening, few were concerned and little acted upon on it. A shadow of ignorance and denial had fallen over people who considered themselves children of Enlightenment. And now we know that this era as the
Penumbra Period. And another dark age will come even though we knew what was happening.

9

Colton, Timothy J. "Communism." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation,
2008.
10

Oreskes, Naomi & Conway, Erik, The Collapse of Western Civilization: A view from the Future, Daedalus, the
Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,2013 p. 51-53

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Bibliography
Duchesne, Ricardo, 2011, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization, Koninklijke, Brill NV
Porter, Glenn. "Industrial Revolution." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA:
Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
Cantor, Norman, 1969, Medieval History: The Life and Death of a Civilization, Second Edition,
Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. New York
Oreskes, Naomi & Conway, Erik, 2013, The Collapse of Western Civilization: A view from the
Future, Daedalus, the Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,
Osheim, Duane J. "Black Death.", 2008, Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA:
Microsoft Corporation
"Age of Enlightenment." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD].
Colton, Timothy J. "Communism.", 2008, Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA:
Microsoft Corporation
Longview Institute, Market Fundamentalism www.longviewinstitute.org/projects/marketfundamentalism/marketfundamentalism Tobis, Michael,2013, Oreskes and Conway: Days of Future Passed, April 3

http://planet3.org/2013/04/03/oreskes-and-conway-days-of-future-passed

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