Term Paper on Enlightenment
Michael Adas explores the change in perception of the Europeans from renaissance
to the industrial revolution. Especially the period of enlightenment had a
significant impact on their perception of the non-Europeans namely Asians and
Africans. The fundamental superiority found in the Europeans became more
pronounced. The initial awe of the greater cultures of china and India changed
to other negative properties measured by their own yardstick.
Adas observes the ways in which Europeans' stance toward the material dominance
of their civilization affected their outlook toward, and communication with, the
peoples of the recently discovered regions of Africa, Indian subcontinent and
China.
They were certain of the supremacy of their customs generally due to religious
belief. Away from that, there was a level of type of the cultures come across
established usually on social, cultural style. Thus, the Chinese were positioned
very highly, the Indians rather less so and the Africans much worse. Appropriate
attempts were made to clarify the lack of improvement of these cultures; they
believed that the Chinese were stifled because of countless regulations and
bureaucracy; for the Indians and particularly the Africans it was assumed that
other issues such as the climate of the region were to blame. Mostly to their
lower level of social grouping as well as other factors were also to be blamed.
He represents the thought of the humanizing undertaking. Adas asserts that while
this view was often used to justify used, however, "many were firmly convinced
that they were acting in the long-term interests of the peoples brought under
European rule." (p. 200) The enlightening mission concerned bringing Western
knowledge, approach, and organizational skills to the non-Western cultures, as
well as Christianity.
Prior to the industrial development, explorers, merchants and negotiators of the
sixteenth to eighteenth centuries had a tendency to put attention on the
diversity in religious values and the societal, in particular family,
organization. The westerners were impressed by Hinduism, polytheism,
Confucianism, polygamy, nakedness, the affluence and cleanliness of cities, the
authority of kings: they noticed these things. The Chinese Ming and Qing Empires
and the Mughal Empire in India were overpowering and imposing to explorers and
priests who had left hungry masses and bickering princes in Europe. On the other
hand, European activities in theoretical time and distance measurements -- math,
clock making, astronomy and shipbuilding -- were conspicuously better. Moreover,
if the Portuguese sailing down the coast of Africa did not see any boats able to
challenge with their own, there were still material goods, cloth and metalwork
that could be exchanged.
The important thing to be noticed is that the new places were seen as something
unique and something which they were interested in acquiring, this lead to their
idea of colonization and imperialism, which further degenerated into racism and
suppression.
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