What Do You Think? How Did People of Different Classes ‘Think’ Differently?

Ever since people have existed, they have been thinking about many different things. Technology has evolved because of people doing just that: thinking. People from different countries think different things; people of different social classes think different things. So what exactly is it that people think? How do different people think differently? And why? People think about ways to improve their lives, how other people act and react towards them, and what to do to solve problems they face.

            Since the beginning of time, people have been pondering ways to improve their lives. If they hadn’t, we would not be living the way that we do now. Since the first people who invented communities, to the people who invented the most recent gadgets that we use today, such as iPods, new kinds of computer technology, and the latest cell phones, each and every one of these people had to think about what they were doing, and what they had to do to create technology. People in different social classes, however, thought differently about new inventions, because money plays a big factor. For instance, someone who had enough money to access certain expensive substances to create something new would be sure to think differently about creating something new than someone with very little money, and no access to these substances.

            Even in the Middle Ages, people were thinking about new inventions. Take the invention of the printing press for example. The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg, the first prototype made in 1448. Johannes thought very differently than many other inventors of his time. Gutenberg’s profession was that of a goldsmith’s, his profession had little to do with flat-out inventing. Gutenberg worked with metals, and used his experience in that field to multiply the separate types of printing presses in metal molds. It was in this way that the presses were made that allowed them to be aligned like the manuscript that Johannes was copying. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07090a.htm) Gutenberg thought very differently than other inventors of his time, as he created something that made life incredibly easier, and had not been attempted successfully before. This made him one of history’s most important thinker/inventors. Without his incredible idea, who knows where we would be today.

            People also like to think about other people, and how others act and react towards them. Social orders were put into place because people were concerned about the way other people were reacting, and wanted to control them. This is especially prevalent in the case of the Crusades. During the Crusades, many places were captured, and many people wanted to be in control. During the capture of Jerusalem, the Franks had to think about how to capture what they wanted, as they saw it would be difficult. Fulk of Chartres participated in this account, and tells of the plans that the leaders had to seize the city of Jerusalem.

When the Franks saw how difficult it would be to take the city, the leaders ordered scaling ladders to be made, hoping that by a brave assault it might be possible to surmount the walls by means 'of ladders and thus take the city, God helping. So the ladders were made, and on the day following the seventh, in the early morning, the leaders ordered the attack, and, with the trumpets sounding, a splendid assault was made on the city from all sides. The attack lasted till the sixth hour, but it was discovered that the city could not be entered by the use of ladders, which were few in number, and sadly we ceased the attack.

Finally, people think about how to solve problems that they face. If people did not think about how to solve problems, the world would be in a state of total disarray. Wars could still be in progress, animosity between people would still be prevalent, and peace treaties might not even exist. So, as we can see, most ideals that all people, regardless of class think about are relatively the same. However, people of different social classes think about these ideals a little differently, proving that though we think about the same things for the most part, each individual person thinks about an individually.  

Web Citations: 

1. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Johann Gutenberg." NEW ADVENT: Home. Web. 05 May 2010. . http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07090a.htm 

2. Raymond, Count, and His Men. "Medieval Sourcebook: Fulk of Chartres: The Capture of Jerusalem." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 05 May 2010. .http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/fulk2.html 

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Herkulaneischer_Meister_002.jpg/220px-Herkulaneischer_Meister_002.jpg

Animoto Links

1. Social Classes: Serfdom http://animoto.com/play/FPX3j2dzdETPserN6CJ9BA?utm_source=project_complete_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=project_complete_email&utm_content=main
2. Knights http://animoto.com/play/zJ0fC4rOBaYxtfL6B8vMwA?utm_source=project_complete_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=project_complete_email&utm_content=main

3. Stained Glass http://animoto.com/play/YcLMjgO6sjNzFkf2jBUczQ

What's So Wrong with Social Orders?

What’s so wrong with Social Orders?
          Ever since the beginning of the time, people have been controlling other people. They want to control what other people say, do, etc. They want to make people do what they think is “normal”. However, many people have many different definitions for “normal”. This causes conflict; because everyone wants to be what they think is “normal”. Social orders are just a way of people controlling others and making them “normal”. In a way, social orders can be considered bad, because they are changing people from what they actually want to be.

            Even in the Middle Ages, social orders were of large importance. Serfs, knights, and lords were all different groups of people, who lived very different lives. Serfs were the lowest on the chain. They had to live without many personal liberties, never being allowed to leave, marry, or even get rid of their own property without the permission of their lord. The lords wanted to control everything that the serfs did.( http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/535485/serfdom) So, what was so wrong with this? The lords were controlling the serfs in such a way that all of the serfs’ liberties were taken away. So, the idea of the social orders was not really that bad, but the way that the lords carried out the social orders, was poor.

            Social orders are never really a good idea, because they require one person or group of people to be the ones controlling, or the ones in charge. Different people think different things, and so trying to control everyone is never a good idea. A good example is when the lords tried to constantly control their serfs with social orders. Serfs had little to no freedom, so the only way they could think to react was to try to escape the lives that their lords had created for them. This usually did not end well for the serf. Many times when this occurred, the serf suffered a brutal punishment from trying to escape, because the lords thought of their serfs as property, such as their animals, or even their objects.( http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/535485/serfdom) In this case, social orders were used to create an injustice between one group of people and another. The way serfs were treated was very unfair.

Unfortunately, social orders are normally used in such an unjust manner. Another instance in which social orders were used in an unjust way was in the United States itself, with the case of segregation. Even after the Civil War had ended and slaves had been freed, problems still occurred between white people and colored people. White people tried to force their social orders upon the colored people, and as we can see from history, this did not work well. Black people as well as white people suffered as a result, and eventually, the social orders were relinquished, and segregation was lessened. However, even today we still see remnants of the animosity between blacks and whites, because of the history between the two. The reason blacks were so angry was because of the way they were treated by the whites. White people treated the blacks like they were less important, and unequal to them. This was an instance of social class inequalities. Blacks were considered to be in a different, lower social class than whites were. Because of this, whites and blacks always had and probably for a long time will have animosity.

Overall, having social orders is not a good idea. Trying to control people is a hard thing to do, and it will always result in disarray. However, social orders will always be present, because people will always want to be in control of other people.

Web Citations: 

1. "Serfdom -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 04 May 2010. . 

Image:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Galician_slaughter_in_1846.PNG/300px-Galician_slaughter_in_1846.PNG

Do Human Beings Have an Innate Instinct to Be Free?

Throughout the history of time, human beings have been unhappy with their situations, have wanted to be in a different situation. From the serfs of the Middle Ages, to the slaves of the Civil War, to the working-class people of today. So does this mean that people have an innate instinct to be free?

A serf was a person that lived on the land of someone such as a lord, and worked for them. The were a tenant farmer for the lord, and were basically owned by them. Serfs were bound to the land on which they worked, and had to provide their own food and clothing from their own efforts of work for their lord. Though the serf worked very hard for his own profit, a portion of it had to be given back to the lord on whose land the serf was living. Serfs had very little freedom, and could not even leave the lord's land without the lord's permission. The serf also could not change his job, marry, or even get rid of his own property without his lord's permission. The serfs had to stay on the land, and if a new lord came to take the serfs, the serfs would be transferred to the lord, along with the the land. Serfs were often treated horribly, and could not do anything to compensate for something their lord did or had done.There were only three ways for a serf to become free: "manumission, enfranchisement, or escape."  (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/535485/serfdom) Obviously, it was very rare for a serf to be freed by manumission or enfranchisement, so many serfs had to resort to trying to escape their lords. This could either end very well for the serf, or very very badly. Lords did not like to lose their serfs, as they thought of them as property, such as animals and carts. So if a serf was caught trying to escape, they would be punished severely. However, this did not stop some serfs from trying and succeeding in escape. So, in answer to the original question, yes, i think that humans have an innate instinct to be free, because they are willing to risk their lives to be free, as serfs, and slaves all did. 
Web Citations: 
1. "Serfdom -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. . http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/535485/serfdom 
Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Costumes_of_Slaves_or_Serfs_from_the_Sixth_to_the_Twelfth_Centuries.png/275px-Costumes_of_Slaves_or_Serfs_from_the_Sixth_to_the_Twelfth_Centuries.png

Chapter 21: How King Arthur Let Do a Cry a Jousts, and How Sir Lamorak Came in, and Overthrew Sir Gawaine and Many Other

King Arthur decided that jousting was now a priority, and so many of the knights of the Round Table had to be ready to joust, because Sir Gawaine, in being ready to joust, made them get ready. The knights Tristram, Launcelot, and Dinadan  were on the side of King Arthur, and against Sir Gawaine, hoping to defeat him and his four brothers. Arthur had overthrown three of Sir Gawaine's brothers very quickly, and quickly defeated more of his men. Finally, Sir Gawaine was defeated, and Sir Gawaine's brothers swore that they would revenge him. 
Web Citations: 
1. D'Arthur, Le Morte. "Le Morte D'Arthur - Google Books." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. . http://ow.ly/1AMlZ  
Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Artus2.jpg

The Unexplained Epidemic

In 2015, an unexplained epidemic broke out all over the United States. People were dying of a mysterious disease, and no one knew the cause. There were many symptoms, all shown in a pattern. First, the person would show a distance from other people, they would no longer engage in conversations, and would often stare out into space. Then, they would seem more distant, and things that usually made them happy would produce no delight. Soon after this, their eyes would turn a dull gray color, and they would blink very rarely. Their skin would turn yellow, and their fingers and toes would turn black and fall off as if they were suffering from frostbite, even in ninety degree weather. Finally, the person would commit suicide, often in a gory fashion. They could not be stopped. Many people who noticed the pattern of symptoms that the victims went through assumed they were suffering from depression. And, for a while, that explanation sufficed. Victims were taken to the doctor, and were prescribed with psychiatrists, and depression medication. However, when the victims began to act zombie-like, and the last few symptoms were revealed, it was clear that depression was not the culprit. For a long time, no one knew where the disease came from, or how to stop it. Finally though, a brilliant scientist finally cracked the case. He discovered that people were getting sick from chemicals found in people’s rotting corpses in the ground. These people had died of natural cause, but they were causing people to die abnormally. He did not at first know what to do with this information; all he could think to do was to try to get rid of the bodies. He told the President of the United States about his knowledge, and the president immediately ordered all bodies to be dug up and cremated. After this, all the sick died, and many less people got sick. No one knew how to completely solve this disease, but they knew how to solve the biggest problem it presented. In China, reports of this disease were reported, then in countries all over the world. The disease was a pandemic, and it had spread. 

Job Application to be a Knight

1.Q.    Prior experience with horseback riding?

A: Yes, I ride horses everywhere I go. In order to get into town, I need to ride a horse.
2.Q.   Who have you worked for? Kings/Queens?
A: I have worked for King Henry II. He made me stand at the gate of his castle and make sure no intruders came in.
3.Q.     Do you own a horse?
A: Yes, I have owned this one horse for quite some time that is very well trained.
4.Q.     Have you ever taken part in a battle?
A: No, I have never been in a battle before. King Henry II never made me a soldier. I want to get this job to protect the people and the king. If that means participating in war, I wouldn’t mind a bit.

5.Q. What are some good qualities that you think would make you a good knight for King Arthur?

A. I think that I am intelligent, and well-prepared for battle, if I need to be in it. I can do many jobs, and I am very handy. Though King Henry II never made me a soldier, I think that I would be good at that as well as any other job.

6.Q. Would you be able to work with any horse that King Arthur gives you, regardless of any previous experience with it? (instead of a horse you bring with you).

A. Yes. I can work with trained or untrained horses, so either way, I can work well. However, if possible, I would like to work with my own horse, because we have had time to get to know each other, and I believe that I would be most productive with my own animal.

7.Q. What sticks out most about you that would make you a better knight above other applicants?

A. I think that I am particularly good at adapting to any situation. I can move from being a soldier to guarding a castle, to almost anything else. If you need me to do a job, I can try to the best of my ability to fulfill that task in the most productive way possible. Many people are not able to do this, and I think it is one quality that makes me a more superior candidate.

8.Q.What are your expectations out of this job?

I hope to serve the people and King Arthur to the best of my ability by being a Knight of the Round Table. Since I was young, I have always wanted to be in such a noble position as a knight, and this would be the ideal job for me.

9. Q. Do you know how to handle and work with weapons?
        A.I have never been in battle and had to handle weapons but I do know how to handle things like knives and swords.
10. Q. Do you have any family you will be leaving while your at battle?
        A.I do have a family. I am married and have three children. I have prepared my family in case that I get this job for me not being home and told them everything. They want me to have this job and wish for me to fulfill my dreams.
11. Q. Do you know the responsiblities of a knight and that you are responsible for protecting yourself and the rest of the army.
         A.Yes, I realize that I am responsible for protecting myself and the rest of the army. They are like my family and once I become a knight I will look out for them and protect them like there are my own family.
Web Citations:
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knight's_spur.jpg

Issuu Link to Magazine

http://issuu.com/ash007/docs/publicationmedmag

Submission for Class Blog

We see a variety of Roman elements in our political system today. One of the most similar systems used today is the veto system used by the president, where he or she is the one sole person who can decide whether a law is passed or not. This was a system first used by the Romans, in the case of Plebians and Patricians. One Plebian was able to either let a law pass, or veto it. The Romans also had a Senate, who handled the public money, i.e. they handled all returns that were brought into the treasury, as well as all the payments issued from it. The Senate of today has similar responsibilities. However, like the Senate of today, the Senate of Rome also had other responsibilities. While our Senate enforces laws for bills that may or may not be passed, the Senate of Ancient Rome adjusted all disputes, determined how ambassadors would be treated, and had many other responsibilities as well. The people of today and Ancient Rome's time also played close to the same part. The people of Ancient Rome, because the Senate and other parts of the government held so much power, dispensed all punishments, and condemned citizens to paying fines, and had the right to sentence any one person to die. It was very much their job to enforce the rules and look after the country. The people of today have similar responsibilities. As we can plainly see, the Roman Republic was very successful, at least in its time; and in hopes of receiving that successful type of government, we are able to see many similarities in the governments of today.

Did the Architecture Cause a Change in How People Expressed Church Theology?

Gothic Architecture as opposed to the previous Romanesque represented a huge change in the way that people expressed Church Theology. While before people had been focusing on the last judgment, the end of the world, and death, Gothic architecture focused more on the Resurrection, Jesus, and life. Not only were people thinking differently, but they expressed it in the most sacred of their art: their Churches. This change was definitely a good one, because people were thinking positively, not negatively. Instead of being terrified about the last judgment, and what was going to happen when they died, they were thinking about the positive aspects of life. So, people definitely expressed Church theology differently as a result of Gothic Architecture.
Web Citations:

1. "Romanesque Architecture." Castles. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. . (http://www.castles.me.uk/romanesque-architecture.htm) 

2. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Gothic Architecture." NEW ADVENT: Home. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. . (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06665b.htm) 

Image:

Visitor's Tour of Notre Dame de Paris

1. Western Facade 

2. Viewed from the Seine

3. Facade, showing the Portal of the Virgin, Portal of Last Judgment, and Portal of  

4. Exterior of the Apse 

5. Flying Buttress 

6. Grandes Orgues 

7. View from the South 

1 

3

542


6

7

Web Citations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_dame_de_paris

Why do you think the Church and the monasteries became the centers of learning?

I think that the Church and the monasteries became the centers of learning because people craved religion. People in the Medieval times were very confused and worried about what was going to happen to them after they died, so they turned to the Church, which had an explanation for them. Many kings and people with great amounts of power gave land to churches on free grant, proving that the Church was very important at that time  (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05103a.htm). The reason for this is most likely because of the explanation the Church gave that no one else could. However, in the Southern parts  of England, the Church owned more land than in the Northern parts of England. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05103a.htm) So, the north parts of England must have been more worried about themselves, and must have wanted religion more than other parts England and the rest of the world. Richer people must have been more worried, because they gave away land to the Churches, so that they would be better off. Since they were so worried, about judgment day, and whether they were going to heaven or not, they felt that if they gave the Church money and land, then they would surely be able to get into heaven. 
Web Citations: 
1. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Domesday Book." NEW ADVENT: Home. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05103a.htm) 
Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Medieval_church.jpg/800px-Medieval_church.jpg 

Did Gothic Architecture Reflect a Change in Church Theology?

Gothic architecture represented a big change in Church theology, as we can clearly see from looking at Gothic churches. Previously, Romanesque architecture had been used to construct churches, and this was much different than Gothic architecture. While Romanesque churches appeared as fortresses, and had arches similar to the ones that the Romans used, Gothic churches had windows, and were full of light. (http://www.castles.me.uk/romanesque-architecture.htm; http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06665b.htm). Gothic churches depicted scenes full of light, such as the Enunciation, but Romanesque churches depicted scenes of the last judgment. This represented a huge change, not only in Church Theology, but in the attitudes of people. With Romanesque churches, people were focused on darkness, and the end of the world; things were centered around the Last Judgment. However, with Gothic churches, people were focused on new life, and light; things were centered around happiness and hope. If people were thinking differently, then more changes were bound to take place. This represented a huge part of history. 

Web Citations:

1. "Romanesque Architecture." Castles. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. . (http://www.castles.me.uk/romanesque-architecture.htm) 

2. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Gothic Architecture." NEW ADVENT: Home. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. . (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06665b.htm) 

Images: 

1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Kosciol_Andrzeja.jpg/220px-Kosciol_Andrzeja.jpg  

2. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Reims_Kathedrale.jpg/250px-Reims_Kathedrale.jpg