Western Civilization Lesson 165 – Week 33 Review

Writing assignment: What is one issue that reflects the individualist versus collectivist outlook in your own times? How does it do this?

Collectivism is a view that prioritizes cohesiveness and choosing collective worth over individual worth. Collectivists essentially value certain groups’ goals for the sake of the ‘greater good’. Historically, sociologists from 1930s Germany were the first to describe a model of collectivism, and different versions of the model later presented themselves in the form of Marxist and Leninist ideology.

Individualism centers on “the right of the individual to freedom and self-realization”. Politically individualist ideologies tend to follow the line of thought which supports civil liberties and is found on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum, as well as anarchism and libertarianism. The main emphasis here is on preserving individual rights and freedoms from coercion of the state.

The collectivist outlook villainizes economics and the free market while glorifying the state, and individualism tends to do the opposite. While the free market responds to individual needs, the state grows according to bureaucratic needs.
A complicated point for the benefits of collectivism stems from raising the question of who will provide goods and services to those in need if there is no absolute, mercantilist, totalitarian, or central state-planned economy to take care of its citizens.

Opponents of individualism say it is selfish and heartless to choose ‘the individual’ over ‘the collective’; and that we need collective efforts. But one counterpoint is that individual kindness exists, and so do the efforts of voluntary cooperative groups.
Collectivism can not be considered a truly collective effort unless all involved consent to a decision, but that would only be possible in a voluntary situation.

A long-held topic of debate between these two views is the digital revolution, which began in the 1960s, starting with pocket calculators and leading to computers, smartphones, and other new devices. Legal rights and surveillance surrounding technology have been important parts of the collectivist vs. individualist debate.

An example of how collectivist and individualist outlooks play into current events in the U.S. is the debate on restrictions surrounding COVID-19. Government mandates had imposed lockdowns while resetting the economy through small business shutdowns, expansion of global corporations, and cashless payments, while many collectivists would be in favor of this, the individuals’ view promoted informed choice and freedom. There is still a debate on the choice to wear masks and to get vaccinated.
‘Health passports’ potentially being imposed, would monitor and restrict freedom of movement and access to education, employment, and services. These digital identity ‘passports’ align with collectivist beliefs but normalize surveillance. The individualist stance would be to allow the option to get a vaccine or wear a non-medical mask as desired but leave the final choice up to the individual for the sake of preserving freedom and privacy.

Government 1B: Lesson 45 – Week 9 Review

Writing assignment: Answer all four of the following questions.

(1) The “benefit principle” has been used to justify progressive income taxation. What is the benefit principle? Are there any problems with it? If so, what?

The benefit principle follows the logic that the rich benefit more from government protection, such as law enforcement, than the poor so the rich should pay more taxes. If you have to pay based on how much the government supports your salary, if the government provided everything for you, by this logic you would have to give everything back to match, so this principle would not help to support the extremely poor by definition.

(2) What is the Washington Monument Syndrome?

A phenomenon presented by political historians. When trying to prove a cutback on spending, the government cuts back on funding for the most ‘visible’ services and public programs, such as libraries, the arts, parks, and national landmarks, or public service employees. It is used to justify politicians who do not want budget cuts. Lawmakers use the ‘evidence’ of this syndrome to say that any budget cut would destroy such essential services, specifically law enforcement and health and safety. When in reality they could make budget cuts elsewhere but simply choose not to.

(3) What is the primary problem facing a policymaker who is trying to design a program to benefit people in unfortunate circumstances? (Lesson 43 will help here.)

Democratic social programs tend to produce net harm and are unavailable to provide a good solution. For example, smoking addictions are responsible for over 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. In practice, there are two outcomes- the problem persists, or it worsens. An antismoking program would need a persuasive reward to induce quitting, but not a reward promising enough to make new people start smoking to ‘win’ the reward. As a result, thereward will either be not convincing enough or too convincing and, overall net improvements are unchanged.
Say someone considering smoking hears about a $10,000 reward for smokers to quit as part of a rehab program. Beginning to smoke now has some serious benefits, but they might get addicted anyway and never even get the reward, only adding to the issue.

(4) In practice, what have been some of the outcomes — intended or unintended — of anti-poverty programs?

Ideally, they would reduce poverty, which is the goal of the programs. By 1994, government welfare spending had increased four times since 1967, yet poverty rate had stayed the same. Individuals are two and a half times more likely to escape poverty by not taking welfare. An unfortunate outcome contributed to family dissolution.
incentives changed, dependency on government programs became harder to escape and even encouraged. It devalues work ethics. For example, in society not being able to support yourself used to be a social stigma, and this pressure, while potentially mentally taxing or harmful for some, kept able-bodied people motivated to work and support themselves. It devalues work ethics

Western Civilization from 1493 – Lesson 135 – Week 27 Review

Written assignment: (250 words min.) From the readings and lectures, in what sense did World War II become more “global” during its first two or two-and-a-half years?

World War II was encouraged to begin with the German invasion of Poland. The Winter War of 1939 showed the Soviets Union invading Finland, and at that point Finland joined with Germany. The Germans pushed the eastern front of the war into Russia by breaking the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact with an invasion. Starting with Yugoslavia, where there were countless executions. Britain, France, and the Soviet Union were the main countries in the Allied powers at this time, fighting against the Axis powers, which were Germany, Japan, and Italy. During the occupation of France, many French states were incorporated into Germany territory.

Once the United States officially joined the war, it could be considered more global, adding to the In all of this, the United States was a self-described “neutral” country, but FDR bent the rules of neutrality statements. Anti-interventionist parties tried to stop FDR’s inevitable plan to join the war but were unsuccessful. Despite what Roosevelt said in his neutrality speech, he had always intended to join in eventually but was waiting for the right time, once the other countries had allied and joined in the war. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, adding another reason for the United States to join. Hitler declares war on the United States, justifying that with two reasons. One was that the U.S. was behaving improperly under neutral country code, and the other reason was to ‘reward’ Japan for its help in alliance with Germany, such as when Japan attacked the Philippines. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines spread the war further, into Southeast Asia. The United states joined the Allied powers, also helping to create a “global” war.

Western Civilization Lesson 125 – Week 25 Review

Writing assignment:

1) What are the primary differences discussed in this week’s videos between Marxism and Marxism-Leninism?

The main focus of Marxism is that capitalism is to be overthrown and replaced with socialism, communism being the ultimate form of socialism but less ‘natural’ to achieve. Lenin revises Marxist ideas with Leninism. Marxism was a type of historical materialism while Leninism applied Marxist methods in real life. The main difference is Leninism had a unique concept where for the proletariat or working class to overthrow the bourgeoisie, it is necessary to have a third party of “intellectuals” overlooking the project and directing it. His idea was less strictly socialist and more ‘vanguardist’. Lenin wanted a true dictatorship when his ideals were to be fully achieved.

(2) Historian Richard Pipes wrote, “Soviet Russia was the first society in history to outlaw law.” What did he mean by that?

The society created by the Bolshevik Revolution, directed by Lenin, overthrew the law and government to create its own, therefore “outlawing” what was previously instated.

(3) What was the Russian government under Lenin like? What kinds of tasks did it attempt to achieve?

They murder the royal family, including not just the tsar but all of Tsar Nicholas II’s relatives, to prove to their followers that there is no turning back, and Leninism was to be fully applied. The Bolsheviks controlled cities and specifically the factories and labor forces, resulting in a dramatic loss for the economy. Society overall suffered. Lenin’s dictatorship was masked by democratic appearing propaganda, The goal was not to eliminate terror, but to create a legitimate justification for it out of nothing. The countryside grew suspicious and rebellious anyway, threatening to overtake Lenin as he made the country into more of a basket case with almost every move. After full control of the market, he relented to allowing peasants to sell, yet still requiring a heavy tax. Cultural and religious life was heavily regulated, and churches were shut down, music or art which did not line up with Lenin’s values confiscated, and valuables were taken. A feature of their regime was that any failings of the Bolshevik’s allegedly “scientific” legal system were ignored. It sought to achieve liquidation of private property and nationally controlled production trade and transport. Compulsory labor and abolition of money were also goals that the Bolsheviks tried to implement under Lenin.

Western Civilization Lesson 120 – Week 24 Review

Writing assignment: Answer two of the following questions.

Based on Lesson 117 and the reading, how has it been argued that Woodrow Wilson followed a double standard in his treatment of the British hunger blockade and the German submarine warfare? What policy did he take regarding Americans sailing on ships flying belligerent flags?

If armed American ships entered German submarine warfare waters, Wilson’s position on the matter was that they were free to do so and if the ship was gunned down or sunk, the Germans are to be condemned, the Americans don’t need to follow the same neutral policy as others did. Other neutral countries disagreed with his policy, if a ship enters a submarine warfare zone they risk being are potential targets.

After the inevitable attacks happen, Wilson sent army ships into the zone to attack the Germans in retaliation. But on the other hand, when British hunger blockades violated the terms of international law by blocking food ports, Wilson looked the other way and let the blockade occur. The blockade was meant to starve the Austria-Hungarian and German populations into submission.

How have some historians argued that the peace settlement at the end of World War I helped pave the way for World War II?

The Paris Peace settlement was made behind closed doors by the four largest European powers: Great Britain, France, the United States, and Italy. The other involved countries could not be there to debate with them. The issue which some have argued created tensions leading to the next World War was the inconsistent application of the self-determination principles of all countries involved in the war, not just the “Big Four”.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson intended to give minorities nations of their own, but completely neglected his fourteen-point plan that he had originally presented for a peace treaty. Wilson had simply wound up creating more minorities in the end. Germany was the only country not allowed any choice at all over how their land was distributed and ended up losing most of it to newly created countries, where Germans were still a part of the population regardless. Some historians say these factors helped pave the road for the second war.

Western Civilization Lesson 115 – Week 23 Review

Writing assignment: Answer two of the following questions.

What are the values of Modernism that we see reflected across different fields, and how do they represent a departure from neoclassicism and the Enlightenment?

Modernism took the opposite direction of neoclassicism, which meant for a more open mind to skepticism, surrealism, and abstract thought. Classic convention, order, reasoning were the inspirations of neoclassicism.
Before Modernism, it was a common understanding that nothing is objective. After studies of the atom, quantum physics, and time, space, and objective reality, it was considered whether some things are actually objective, and this form of skepticism spread to other fields like writing and art. Modernism writers reflected values of skepticism and surrealism in their literature.
In the art world, new styles were coined such as impressionism, post-impressionism, cubism, futurism, and expressionism. The new art styles overall reflected Modernist values, which was a stark contrast to neoclassicism art which valued structure, order, and realism.

What factors contributed to the coming of World War I?

Nationalism played a major role in the events escalating up to World War I. Particularly pan-Slavism, with which the Serbs sought to unite with the Bosnians, Croatians, and Slovakians by sharing a common social identity. At the time leading up to the war, the German kings wore concerned about Russia growing in power, and their fears became reality when Russian and France formed a military alliance.

In addition, Britain grew towards allying with France and the three countries created an alliance called the Triple Entente. Meanwhile, to avoid more nationalism pushed by the Serbs, Austria annexes Bosnia, creating the Bosnian Crisis and more political tension. The Russians’ current goals were to protect the Slavs out of a sense of patriotic duty, but also to expand into the Balkan region. Serbia sought Austrian territory, preparing for war, yet back down after German threats. The next occurring major factors are the two Balkan Wars. As tensions rise, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, which was the final straw for many.

Western Civilization Lesson 105 – Week 21 Review

Writing assignment: Answer two of the following questions.

What were the key steps in the process of Italian unification?

In the 19th century, modern-day Italy as we know it was just an assortment of states. There were numerous small city-states, Naples was the largest and the Papal States were independent. An important factor in motivating ( at least the upper-class) Italians towards a unified country was the works of Giuseppe Mazzini. The most renowned general of the time was Giuseppe Garibaldi. He and Mazzini created a short-lived republic of Rome, but that ended unsuccessfully. A key figure was the mayor of Piedmont, Count Di Cour. Napoleon supported him and Piedmont, so the army of Piedmont got the French on their side, and in a war, they won Lombardy, which still wasn’t enough for General Garibaldi. He wanted the entire state unified, but after obtaining Naples and Sicily, he retired. Eventually, in 1871, Italy was legally unified, yet still culturally diverse.

Discuss the significance of two of the major innovations of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Most significantly, cheap and streamlined steel production is now possible. Refining machines and other new inventions improve quality and lower the cost of the process. Steel, rather than iron, make skyscrapers possible. Another innovation is the further development of the chemical industry. From artificial dyes, photo film, and cellophane, and other plastics, colorful clothes, and products as well as chemical compounds are available for sale.

Western Civilization Lesson 100 – Week 20 Review

(1) Discuss two weak points in the views of Karl Marx, and explain what’s wrong with them.

One of his theories is the labor theory of value. This presumption is flawed and therefore there reasoning he derives from this theory to create his views seems to also be flawed. The concept he presents is that the capitalists, or people ‘in charge’ of the labor market and workers, exploit the workers’ ‘surplus value’. What he neglects is the passage of time. Some, like the employers would rather make money by spending on a workers paycheck and good now, and gaining more money when the products sells, if the product sells at all, which is a risk. The worker in turn chooses to trade labor to get paid. As long as the worker and employer voluntarily make this transaction, it is not inherently exploitation as Marx deduces. The workers burden is labor, and the ‘capitalist’s’ burden is time exchange. Also, Marx tries to explain the concept of object/goods exchange by concluding that, say, a coffee mug and a shirt are equal. But they are not literally equal, that is not the point of the hypothetical exchange. He defines goods by “labor power” or transferable units of labor, portraying all forms of labor as equivalent, which is simply impossible. One person values the opposite object more, creating a sort of double inequality. He creates incorrect views because they are based on an incorrect idea.

(2) What were Herbert Spencer’s views, as you encountered them in the reading for this week? Does he deserve to be called a “Social Darwinist”?

Spencer was a Libertarian smeared by the title of social Darwinist, which is an utter falsehood. He believed in helping his fellow man, whereas the idea of social Darwinism is letting the weak and poor to die out to let society progress. He writes that the “desire to command is essentially a barbarous desire” because it “implies an appeal to force” and is immoral. His beliefs were strongly against the idea of eugenics or colonialism, and were centered around free will and liberty.

Western Civilization Lesson 95 Essay

(1) What happened in France during the Revolution of 1830?

King Charles X was making living conditions far worse and more unjust than the norm. There was a transition of power from the House of Bourbon to the July Monarchy. Charles’s cousin Duke Louis Philip became king and Charles was deported for his actions. The significance of this event was the replacement of hereditary right to rule with the concept of popular sovereignty, or, “consent of the people”.

(2) Were the Revolutions of 1848 successful or unsuccessful? Discuss two examples.

After the current king attempted to halt a banquet and was dethroned, France ended up with an emperor. In more detail, France had banned all political assemblies. To avoid this loophole, people began hosting banquet’s and speaking politically after the meals to avoid recognition by authorities. In 1848 the government stepped in during a banquet and subsequently a revolt began, ending in King Louis abdicated the throne. This part of the Revolution was successful, but did not last. A short lived Second Republic was established. A main event during this time was the establishment of “national workshops” where the unemployed were given jobs, even if completely wasteful and unhelpful jobs, to get tax-payed salaries. Then during the parliamentary elections, the conservative side won out, leaving the socialist in an outrage. The June Days revolt in response to the conservative direction of France was quickly shut down. The national workshops were also gradually shut down.

Another revolution was in Austria. When people heard about the events in France, Vienne riots break out, the emperor resigns in favor of his teenage grandson, but even that was not enough. The people groups were advocating for autonomy and self-rule. With Russia’s help, the government put down such protests. This revolution was short-lived and unsuccessful as well.

Western Civilization II Lesson 90 – Week 18 Review

(1) Summarize the arguments either of Spencer or Molinari (whichever one you read this week).

Herbert Spencer advocates for the law of equal freedom. That is not to say equality. Individuals are free to do as they like, as long as they do not interfere with other people’s rights to freedom. He presents equality where we are equally compelled to follow rules. He wrote an essay on “The right to ignore the state”, presenting his arguments for this right.

Majorities are not always right. Most people believing something does not inherently make it true or moral. In principle, the majority cannot abuse a minority simply because of mass size. We have the right to exercise religious freedom, taken further to all liberties. He argues if government interference with religion is wrong then so is interference in other liberties. If the government passes its ‘limits’ of interfering with civil and religious liberty, or with taxation, we can “admit the right of the citizen to adopt a condition of voluntary outlawry.”

(2) What was the basic message of the utopian socialists?

That inequality of any kind is an inherent moral evil and should be ‘equalized’. The free market and subsequent market competition should be replaced by central planning, and private property should be abolished and replaced with a community property system. Many advocated for mass censorship as well, like the precursor to utopian socialists, François-Noël Babeuf. Any conversation, debate, or mention of anything that may be interpreted as a challenge or threat to the utopian socialist society would be illegal.

(3) What were the characteristics of Romanticism? Give one example of Romanticism and show how it embodies at least one of these characteristics.

By the 1820s over 150 definitions of Romanticism had been presented, and today scholars question if the label is even needed given the variety during this period. When looking at Romantic art, music, literature, and architecture, however, there are some characteristics and themes that can be pointed out. Another movement at the time was neoclassicism, which contrasts Romanticism with its emphasis on Greek reason, solid lines, and angles, over curves or nature themes.

Experiencing nature brought some of these artists a spiritual or religious feeling, compelling them to create art. A common misconception is that Romanticism is “anti-reason”, but this was not the case. There is an emphasis on intellect and reason, but specifically the ‘feeling intellect’. The Romantics were interested in faraway places, culture, and ideas. They took inspiration from nature, Middle Ages, folk-art, -music, and -literature, national customs, and languages. In Romanticism music there are innovations and dramatic elements that appeal to feeling and emotion, some popular ones are Hector Berlioz and Tchaikovsky. In art, there is a more dramatic twist on nature scenes, with an element of mystery or even danger. There is an emphasis on the conflict between the action in the scene and sincerity. For example, one influential work is “ Wanderer above the Sea of Fog“, which is a melancholic and emotional piece of a traveler looking over a dramatic cliff into the wilderness.