TED Talk

I do not completely agree or disagree with Niall Ferguson.  He feels that geography is not an advantage for societies to prosper.  I believe it is because some areas have more resources than others, i.e. tobacco and sugar plantations in the Caribbean during the Early Modern Era.  Ferguson argues that rules and laws allow for wealth increase, which I agree with because it unites the people under one government and allow them to function within their society.  His "6 killer apps" are competition, the scientific revolution, property rights, modern medicine, the consumer society, and work ethic.  He states that competition among individuals in a society thrives the economy, unlike uniformity.  I am inclined to agree because this relates to the supply and demand effect as well.  As people compete to sell their goods, they will likely lower the price, making people more likely to buy the products.  The scientific revolution only was occurring in Europe, which had a booming economy due to this time, according to Ferguson.  He does not really say why this helped the economy, and I can not find any way it does either.  He explains that when more people owned land, the economy went up.  I agree here because more people are able to make a living and produce for their region of living.  I also feel that modern medicine aided the economy because more people survived and were born, so more people were alive to have jobs and manufacture.  I do not feel that the consumer society enhances the economy as much as he claims, because people buying things like clothing will not propel the society forward.  His last killer app, work ethic, is one with which I whole-heartedly agree.  The effort and desire of the people to work is what even starts off any economy.  People that find a new innovative way to make money do not just come across it and never need to work (aside from winning the lottery or scratch tickets).  They put in their time and effort to stabilize their bank accounts.  For the economy to function, people need to be willing to work, even if they do not want to necessarily.  When people work, things are made, then sold, and the economy keeps flowing smoothly.

Chapter 28

The authors of the textbook placed the Safavids, Ottomans, and Mughals all within the same chapter.  They had their reasons for doing so.  The Ottoman and Safavid Empires were very near each other geographically, with the Mughal Empire not being much farther away.  All three empires coexisted during the same time period in history.  Each empire also used Islam as the predominant religion.  The overall idea to place all three empires in the same chapter was more of a positive than negative.  However, it could have been done better.  The way that the different subjects, such as trade or imperial growth, could have been more distinguished.  Instead of giving each empire their own part of the chapter, the writers placed all three in the same part of the reading.  This sometimes made it too jumbled together, but it also allowed an immediate comparison of each empire.  The concept to designate only one chapter for each empire instead of one for each individually was not a bad idea, but it definitely could have been more organized.

The majority of this period of global interactions was a positive experience for the world.  Europe held much of the negative influence.  They enhanced the slave trade immensely, and it also gave a power tilt towards the people of Europe.  This time period did however incline the progress of men and women around the world.  Maritime trade became much more prominent during this era.  Textiles and goods were able to be spread globally, allowing for the advancement of many different societies who participated in this exchange of products.  Ideas and beliefs spread with the trade.  These thoughts commingled with one another to produce a new way of thinking or believing.  Sea travel not only increased trade but also the ability and desire to travel.  Because traveling became more available, people took the opportunity to explore and move to new lands, i.e. the colonization of the Americas and the Caribbean.  This time period is not a completely positive time in world history because of the rough times that took place in Africa and the Native people of the Western Hemisphere.  It certainly did launch human innovation in materials and ideas at the expense of Africans and the Native people of Oceania and the Americas.

Page 748: Sources from the Past- Fabian Fucan Rejects Christianity

Fabian Fucan attacks multiple aspects that are altered by Christianity.  His anger towards the Jesuits is caused by all of his troubles that he faces.  Fucan felt that he was doing something good by studying and following the ways of the Jesuits; however, after about 15 years as a Jesuit, tensions with this group caused him to leave and return to "the Great Holy True Law [of Buddhism]."  He also hated the Jesuits for their impact of the traditional Japanese culture.  Fabian Fucan thought that the influence of God on Japan would ruin and do away with the Japanese way of life.  According to Fucan, the Japanese rulers had been appointed by the gods that the country worshiped.  The new god, Deus, would have destroyed the traditional method of choosing rulers.  He believed that the introduction of Christianity and the god Deus would affect the lineage of emperors.  Also, Deus's influence on Japan would change the Japanese political structure.  The last effected area of Christianity in Japan would be social aspects.  Fabian Fucan said that the Japanese religion was very supreme in Japan, and rightfully so.  He claimed that, since it was so prominent, Christianity would neither spread nor survive because the current religion that was practiced would squash the competition.

Chapter 26 ShowMe Presentations

www.showme.com/sh/?h=kZpl6v2

Important People- Keval Kapadia (Period 1)

http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=U7JI1jM

Important Events- Me and Steven Hong (Period 2)

http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=enHa32e

Important Places- Christos Saledas (Period 4)

What I Now Think of Capitalism

I now know more about capitalism than it just being a small group of wealthy individuals controlling the free market.  People were able to make themselves into this small, wealthy percentile.  They held multiple advantages over other people, such as owning more land, machinery, workshops, and so forth.  They gained their prestige off of the old concept of accumulating wealth.  Businessmen competed with each other to sell their goods, which caused the effect of supply and demand on the economy.  These businessmen also learned how to take advantage of the conditions of the free market to maximize their wealth.  Capitalism was not a type of economy that was set up by the government for the well-being of the country.  It was caused by the competition of businessmen and is supported by this competition.  Capitalism is also what caused many social changes, such as distinctions in social class based on wealth.

Christianity and Capitalism

Christianity diverged into ideas through different influential people. This was because many people changed it to fit their personal needs, or even for the needs of their kingdom. The divergences branched off slowly until they stuck to certain societies. The only thing I know about capitalism is that a very small group of wealthy people are in control of the free market.