Medieval to Early Modern Europe: Society and Power
Middle Ages (476 AD – 1492 AD)
Two Periods
- High Middle Ages
- Late Middle Ages
Feudalism
In the feudal system, the lord would grant the vassal protection and justice for him and his goods, including lands known as the fief. In return, the vassal would pledge loyalty to the lord, provide military service, and pay a ransom in case of kidnapping.
Estate System
Society was divided into three estates: the nobility (those who fought), the clergy (those who prayed), and the peasantry (those who worked).
Changes
Read MoreKarl Marx’s Intellectual Genesis: Influences and Key Works
Karl Marx’s Intellectual Genesis
The genesis of Karl Marx’s thought, particularly between 1840 and 1848, was shaped by several key factors. The politically conservative stance of King Frederick William of Prussia and the spread of progressive ideas in German, French, and Southern regions led to increased censorship and a harsh police regime. In response, writers, historians, and journalists openly advocated for revolutionary change, shifting philosophical activity towards revolutionary action through
Read MoreSocial Injustice in Cry, The Beloved Country: Racism & Inequality
Social Injustice in Cry, The Beloved Country
Social injustice is a central theme in Alan Paton’s novel, Cry, The Beloved Country. Paton, a white South African, grew up in a society deeply divided by race. Despite his father’s racist views, Paton became a strong advocate for social justice and equality.
He fought against discrimination through his work as a teacher and director of a reformatory, where he implemented more humane rules than those imposed by the government. He also used his writing to
Read MoreLinguistic Varieties and Language Use in Different Contexts
Linguistic Varieties
Linguistic varieties are the different ways of speaking that are taken within the same language. There are several factors:
- Temporal variation: A consequence of the passage of time.
- Situation: The origin of dialectal varieties according to the linguistic features of each zone.
- Social: Social status depends on the speakers or other social characteristics, such as age and sex.
- Situational: Distinguishing between different registers depending on the contextual characteristics of each
Wittgenstein’s Language Theory & Socialization Process
Wittgenstein’s Language Theory and the Socialization Process
Wittgenstein’s Theory of Meaning
Wittgenstein’s language theory posits that logic represents the world. Therefore, logically analyzing the language of a group will reveal an image of reality (ontology). Wittgenstein demonstrated how the edge of the world, based on logic and its linguistic representation (concepts), sets the limits of knowledge.
The fundamental thesis is the theory of meaning as a figure. A proposition is a figure of reality,
Read MoreCultural Freedom and Autonomy in the Spanish Constitution
Regional Autonomy and Cultural Identity
The establishment of an open system places no obstacle to any set of provinces that could be considered the holder of the historical, cultural, and economic conditions in the region or nationality. However, it passes through a fine sieve of sociological “population” through its administrative corporations, showing their will to autonomy and thus determining the degree of awareness of their own identity.
The Third Sign: Dual Nature of the Statute of Autonomy
The
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