Western Civilization 2: Peter the Great

Western Civilization 2: Peter the Great

By Ivana     1/10/18     Lesson 45    Tom Woods    Ron Paul Curriculum

Peter the Great is considered one of the greatest monarchs of the Romanov dynasty. He brought about many changes in his country, welcome or unwelcome. Peter was a co-tsar with his half brother Ivan V for seven years, and became the tsar after his death. Peter’s reign lasted from 1689 all the way to 1725.

He led Russia onto a path of modernization and westernization. In 1696 he set off for Europe with a large embassy under a pseudonym. The purpose of this excursion was to learn and observe the way things were done in the west. He learned about artillery, modern warfare, and the craft of shipbuilding. He would use what he learned to built a new and much improved Russian Navy. He visited factories, libraries, European courts, and attended university lectures.

This was met with much resistance. The people of Russia were deeply suspicious of foreign traditions and ideas. Peter, however, welcomed them with open arms. A comparison can be made between him and his father Alexei, who was a very tradition Russian man. He wore his hair and beard long, and wore long robes instead of western dress. Peter shaved his beard and adopted western clothing. He forced his subjects to do the same. He ordered all men to shave their beards. Western fashion had to be worn in his court. The women welcomed this more openly than the men, and had no problem switching from long modest dresses with veils to more colorful, elaborate costumes.

Peter promoted the idea of more opportunities for women, such as making education more available. However, the Education Decrees passed under Peter the Great did not apply to both men and women until the reign of Catherine the Great, who established several schools for girls.

Peter brought about reform of the Russian military after a defeat by Sweden in 1700.

Peter was a believer in the absolute power of the monarch. During his travels in Europe, he listened to a Parliament meeting and was shocked to see people expressing their disapproval and concerns about the decisions of their sovereign. Peter had an administrative council, but its sole purpose was to make sure his orders were carried out.

Under Peter’s rule, the domination of the Russian Orthodox Church by the state was completed. Upon the bishop’s death in 1700, Peter named no successor.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was the construction of St. Petersburg, named after his patron saint.  In 1712, it was named the capitol of Russia. Peter the Great died there in his small winter palace in the winter of 1725.

 

Western Civilization 2: French Wars under King Louis XIV

Western Civilization 2: French Wars under King Louis XIV

By Ivana    1/5/18      Lesson 40     Tom Woods    Ron Paul Curriculum

King Louis the fourteenth was one of the most powerful monarchs in French history. He reigned from 1643 to 1715, an astonishing total of seventy two years, longer than any other European ruler.

In the second half of his rule, he led France into a series of campaigns and attacks across Europe. He conquered a lot of land, and made enemies out of nearly every European monarch. France became the dominant power in Europe for quite a while, but its position of power did not last. Unfortunately, all those years of campaigning took a heavy toll on the French people, and with the heavy taxes imposed upon them by their king to fund his wars, poverty and starvation were inevitable.

The first in this series of wars is known as the War of Devolution. It lasted from 1667 to 1668, and was a French invasion of the Spanish Netherlands. Louis retreated after demands were made by the outraged English, Swedish, and Dutch empires. The only territory Louis gained was the region of Flanders, today the northern part of Belgium.

France ended up conquering all of Flanders in the Franco Dutch War, which started in 1672 to 1678. The third war fought by King Louis was a conflict between him and an alliance between England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and several smaller European states. Known as the Nine Years War, the fighting lasted from 1688 to 1697. France did not lose any of the land won by fighting, but decades of war severely weakened the economics and finances of the country.

 

The Spanish War of Succession, 1701-1714

The War of Succession is exactly what it sounds like. It was fought between France and The Holy Roman Empire. Both had rival candidates to place on the Spanish throne, after the death of the childless Charles the second. Louis suffered a major defeat at the battle of Blenheim in 1704. It was his first major defeat in all his years of campaigning.

France itself was invaded in the year 1708 and Louis was forced to make amends. However, they were not enough for the Dutch and the Holy Roman Empire, who had suffered because of the wars the French waged against them. All the years Louis spent conquering land were fruitless, because they were all divided amongst his opponents.

King Louis died in 1715, leaving behind him a financially desolate France.

Western Civilization 2: Constitutionalism and Juan de Mariana

WC2: Constitutionalism and Juan de Mariana

By Ivana    12/14/17   Lesson 35    Tom Woods   Ron Paul Curriculum

Constitutionalism is an idea that puts limits on the power of the state. This limit can be anything; it doesn’t necessarily have to be a written document. It can be a parliament, tradition, law, and so on.

A famous constitutionalist scholar and thinker was Juan de Mariana, who lived from 1514 to 1624. He was a Spaniard and a Jesuit. He studied at the University of Alcala, and after completing his studies there he went on to teach at a Jesuit College in Rome, and after that the University of Paris. Poor health forced him to abandon his teaching position. Despite his ill health, he managed to live to the great age of 88.

After retiring from teaching, he still remained very active in the scholarly realm. He published a book on the history of Spain, which was very successful and remained popular all the way until the nineteenth century. In 1599 he published a book called “On Kingship” in which he bashed great leaders such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, and accused them of tyranny and injustice.

His most controversial idea was his thoughts on regicide, or the killing of the monarch. He believed that killing the king could be justified if the king was a tyrant. This outraged the French, and his books were collected and burned. The Spanish king did not seem to mind his statement, and Mariana got away with his statement.

But, after he condemned King Philip the third for inflation, and called it unjust and wicked, he was arrested and spent four months in prison, at the age of 73. He was charged with a crime against the king. The pope refused to punish Mariana, and he was released on the condition he would erase the offensive passages from his work.

He died in Madrid in 1624.

WC2: Oliver Cromwell and The Glorious Revolution

WC2: Oliver Cromwell and The Glorious Revolution

By Ivana    12/13/17    Lesson 30   Tom Woods    Ron Paul Curriculum

Oliver Cromwell was an English political leader who lived from 1599 to 1658. He was a member of Parliament and is most known for leading the Parliamentary forces, also known as the New Model Army, against the Royalist forces during the English civil war. He led his army against King Charles the first, and helped bring about the end of the Stuart monarchy for a time. He also led campaigns in Scotland and Ireland during the 1650s.

After the defeat of the Royalists, Cromwell was named “Lord Protector” of England in 1653. He wasn’t exactly king, but he had the power to govern the country. His two main goals were to bring back peace and order after the war, and to instill morality in the people.

Oliver Cromwell was a staunch Puritan, and during his rule he introduced legislature against immorality, such as blasphemy, drunkenness, and adultery. Many were unhappy under his strict Puritan rule, because what many considered “innocent pleasures” were prohibited.

He died in 1658, of what some believe to be malaria. His son Richard inherited the title of Lord Protector, but after a year of holding the position with limited success, and resigned in 1659.

In 1660, the restoration of the Stuart monarchy took place. Charles the second took the throne, and was met with an enthusiasm. The English people hoped to see the return of stability under the monarchy, and welcomed it with open arms after the unhappiness of the Puritan rule.

The period in English history known as “The Restoration” took place under Charles the second. He was popular because he favored religious toleration, which had declined under Oliver Cromwell. He himself was perhaps a religious skeptic or deist, it is not known for sure. Although he favored toleration, he did not get the support he needed from the Parliament. He had a childless marriage, so his brother James, the Duke of York, was declared an heir.

James was eventually crowned king and reigned from 1685 to 1688. He had converted to Catholicism in 1667, and this concerned many English people, since they associated Catholicism with absolutism and tyranny. James appointed many Catholic advisors, which made the people even more skeptical. James had two Protestant daughters, which reassured many, because after his death a Protestant monarch would rule once again. However, a son was born to the royal couple in 1688, which meant there would be a Catholic heir. A conspiracy theory soon emerged that said the pregnancy was false and that the infant was brought in by James to keep the throne away from the Protestants.

The Glorious Revolution came about when, William of Orange, the Dutch husband of Mary, James’ daughter, was urged to save England and ensure the preservation of the Protestant religion. James saw there was no way out and fled to France. This incident is known as “The Glorious Revolution” because it was nearly bloodless and no civil war followed.

William and Mary ruled jointly and both agreed to the Bill of Rights, which would limit the power of the monarchs, create a separation of powers, and protect freedom of speech.

Western Literature: The Pardoner’s Tale

Western Literature: The Pardoner’s Tale

By Ivana    11/3/17    Lesson 170   Gary North   Ron Paul Curriculum

The Pardoner’s Tale is a story from the Canterbury Tales, a collection of fictional narratives told by a group of pilgrims. It was written in the late fourteenth century by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer.

The Pardoner’s Tale is about three corrupt and greedy men. After getting drunk at a tavern, all three swear an oath to find Death and kill him. On their way out of the tavern they encounter an old man who greets them politely. In their drunkenness, they answer him very rudely and insultingly.

The old man answers them calmly with a speech about his immortality. He directs them to a path and tells them they will find Death at the end. Instead of meeting Death, the three men come across a tree and find that there are eight bushels of gold coins underneath it. One of the men wants all the gold to himself so he buys wine and poisons it before serving it to his two companions. He buys three bottles, two he poisons, and one he keeps for himself. As soon as he returns with the wine, the other men kill him out of greed. After completing the grisly deed, they open a bottle of poisoned wine and soon died.

I think the author may have intended the old man to be Death in disguise. He cannot die and Death often takes the appearance of an old man in stories. I think the old man purposefully led the men to the gold because he knew their greed would be their downfall. Afterwards he could claim them for his own.

Western Civilization 2: The Religious Policy of Elizabeth the First

Western Civilization 2: The Religious Policy of Elizabeth the First

By Ivana   11/1/17    Lesson 20   Tom Woods    Ron Paul Curriculum

When Elizabeth the first came to power, the religious state of England was in disarray. Protestant laws and reforms had been passed under her brother Edward the sixth had been annulled by her sister Mary Tudor who enforced Catholicism as the primary religion in England.

Elizabeth’s forty four year reign brought some peace and stability, but religious freedom was not achieved.

She was mostly undecided about her own beliefs. She was attracted to certain aspects of Catholicism, but she refused to allow the authority of the pope to seep back into England; it had been eliminated during her father Henry the eighth’s reign. Elizabeth’s belief in a monarch’s absolute power prevented her from subjection to the pope. In fact, because of her indecisiveness, her contemporaries believed she had no religion.

Elizabeth attempted to please both Catholics and Protestants by keeping rituals and church organization the same as well as continuing to sever ties with the papacy.

However, in 1559, Parliament passed the Act of Uniformity, which established a structure the Church of England should take, as well as a revised version of the English liturgical book of Common Prayer. Catholic Mass was abolished, and everyone was required to attend the Anglican Church on Sundays. Anyone who attended Mass would face a fine or prison.

Eventually Catholic persecution under Elizabeth would begin to take place. Church altars were confiscated; people’s homes in London were searched. Anyone found in the possession of Catholic instruments of worship was punished. Converting people to Catholicism was a crime. Soon it became a crime for anyone to convert.

Though Elizabeth didn’t execute her subjects for their beliefs, it is apparent she expected total obedience to the crown from the church and state.

Gov1A: The Politics of Plunder

Gov1A: The Politics of Plunder

By Ivana    10/31/17    Lesson 20   Gary North    Ron Paul Curriculum

French economist Frederic Bastiat wrote in his essays about a concept he called the politics of plunder. He said plunder is the desire to live at someone else’s expense. Politics and law can be twisted to achieve that goal. The law is supposed to increase the risk of punishment, but if controlled by the wrong people it can become an instrument of plunder.

Bastiat said this was extremely damaging because there will be a big loss of respect for the law. Therefore there would be a loss of moral sense and direction for the nation. He proposed a test of plunder; does a law confiscate from one and give to another? He defined this as legalized plunder.

Bastiat listed some of the forms of plunder as taxes and the welfare state, which he said was when people believe they have the right to ask for assistance from the government.

In his essays Bastiat blamed the politicians for some forms of plunder. He said that by enforcing taxes they were transferring wealth from an unwilling individual to other institutions.

“The law performs the action it is supposed to repress” is a direct quote from his essay “The Law”, and I think it can be applied even to modern times.

Western Civilization 2: St. Francis Xavier

Western Civilization 2: St. Francis Xavier

By Ivana   10/26/17    Lesson 15   Tom Woods   Ron Paul Curriculum

The Catholic Reformation brought many changes and new ideas to the church. The clergy were revising and revisiting their beliefs to effectively combat Protestant teachings. A fresh religious zeal was on the rise.

New orders were brought about during the Reformation, such as the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. They were founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola and worked for the Pope. They held a variety of positions including professors, preachers, writers, scientists, and missionaries.

A well known Jesuit missionary was St. Francis Xavier. He was sent all over the East by Portugal’s King John the third to evangelize Asian nations. He travelled all across India, China, and Japan. He wrote many letters to the Society of Jesus telling them about his travels and his progress.

He was in Cape Comorin, India at the time of the letter. He wrote that the number of Christians was large and increased every day. He had encountered a language barrier but managed to translate the Catholic Catechism into the native language. He memorized it and would walk the streets reciting it aloud, attracting people of all ages.

He described the way he ran his service every Sunday, and described the eagerness of his congregation to listen to Christian doctrine and law. The rate of baptism was high. He said in one paragraph he had baptized an entire village in one day.

Perhaps what he describes most was the willingness of the children. He said, “They show an ardent love for the Divine law, and an extraordinary zeal for learning our holy religion and imparting in to others.” He wrote that the children would berate their friends and family for worshiping false gods and would smash the idols and statues.

He even went on to employ the children to help him teach the Christian message. This way, it would spread faster and more efficiently.

Western Literature: A Comparison in the Decameron

Western Literature: A Comparison in the Decameron

By Ivana   10/25/17    Lesson 165     Gary North    Ron Paul Curriculum

Boccaccio’s “Decameron” has two parts, and both are very different from each other. The first part is his account of the plague in Florence. It’s quite believable. Whatever he describes has been deemed accurate by historians. This passage in the “Decameron” isn’t too lengthy, but still valuable. I found it interesting because of my personal fascination with the Black Death. It was very informative and has no historical value.

The second part of the book takes a turn for the worse. It all seems to be made up by Boccaccio. It is a series of ridiculous stories, told by fictional characters living in an abandoned estate outside Florence to escape the plague.

Each story is extremely unbelievable and unlikely. They are written in a flamboyant and silly manner, and I did not find them entertaining at all.

Western Literature: The Decameron

Western Literature: The Decameron

By Ivana   10/17/17     Lesson 160    Gary North     Ron Paul Curriculum

Boccaccio was an Italian poet and writer, who famously documented the arrival of the Black Death in Florence. The beginning section in his work “The Decameron” is a detailed description of the disease and how it affected people’s lives.

The rest of the book is product of his imagination with little to no historical value or meaning. It tells the story of seven young noble ladies in Florence living during the plague. They are contemplating their situation together when several young men join them. Together, they decide to move to an abandoned estate outside the city to escape the wrath of the plague. They bring their servants and belongings and spend their days playing and being merry.

One of the ladies suggests telling stories to keep everyone occupied. They rest of “The Decameron” is a compilation of these stories.

The first storyteller delivers a peculiar tale about an evil man who deceives multitudes of people. On his deathbed he even deceives a friar by pretending to be holy, so he could be made a saint. The local people then began to pray to him.

In the beginning of the story the storyteller praises God, naming him the creator and authority. Then he tells the tale of the evil man becoming a saint. At the end of the story God’s name is invoked once more. In a way, it seems like Boccaccio is mocking God in an indirect way and attempting to make a stance against Christianity.