All questions are worth 2 pts unless otherwise indicated. In...

  All questions are worth 2 pts unless otherwise indicated. In regard to the Short Answer questions, although I am not looking for long responses (they are not essays), write complete sentences that are clear and analytically precise.

1.     The era of European (and Western) cultural history known as the âDark Agesâ (first part of the Middle Ages) refers roughly to the years 500-1000 BCE (exact dating varies). TRUE OR FALSE

2.     An important reason the Dark Ages were âDarkâ is because the Fall of Rome had left Western Europe in a radically fragmented political situation with no centralized secular political power to impose unified law and order in the way Rome did. TRUE OR FALSE

3.     During the Dark Ages, generally speaking, ordinary life could be described as ânasty, brutish, and short.â TRUE OR FALSE

4.     Like the Great Depression of the modern era (1930s), the Dark Ages represents a WORLD WIDE OR GLOBAL cultural disaster. TRUE OR FALSE

5.     A socio-economic system (with political side effects) emerged during the Dark Ages that has been called Feudalism. Which of the following are True and which are False in regard to Feudalism (all terms are to be thought of in the context of the medieval feudal system, not some later meaning):

a.     Feudalism marks the beginning of Capitalism in world history._____________

b.     The term âfeudâ meant roughly âland propertyâ.   _____________

c.      The term âfiefâ meant roughly the same as the term âserf.â___________

d.     The basic Roman âpatron-clientâ system of socio-economic-political relationships lived on in Feudalism.   ____________________

e.     Feudalism brought a measure of order to social relationships because strict written records were keptâlike business contractsâand enforced by the Church.________________

f.       Because Feudalism involved personal promises made about exchanges of land and service for overall protection, the ultimate societal result was a highly egalitarian era in Western cultural history. _______________

g.     Some scholars have observed that even the Western Church ( as distinct from Byzantine Eastern Orthodoxy) adapted its salvation message to feudal principles at this time: anyone (peasants/serfs, nobles, kings, tribal warlords, etc.) who served the Church with material gifts and physical protection in this world would receive from the Church spiritual protection in the afterlife (Heaven instead of Hell).  _______________________

6.     During the feudal Dark Ages, the only continually functioning and consistently stable authoritative institution in Europe was the Roman Catholic Church. TRUE OR FALSE

7.     Recent scholarship has been building a case that the European Dark Ages were not as dark as previously assumed. In sentence form, list two reasons for this new assessment of those turbulent times: (2pts each answer)

a.     _______________________________________________________________

b.     _______________________________________________________________

8.     The first major formal, institutional split within Christianity occurred in 1054 CE: Roman Catholicism vs Eastern Orthodoxy. They split because the leadership of each Church considered the other not âtrue Christians.â This rift was resolved during the Crusades when Catholic Christian knights became true Christian brothers with Eastern Orthodox Christian believers.  TRUE OR FALSE

9.     The era of the Christian Crusades involved a Church inspired, complicated series of military efforts--lasting for nearly 200 years--that sought to forcibly remove Islamic control of the âHoly Landâ and replace it with Christian control. Ironically, its most important impact for Western Europe (and Western Civilization) was not military or political or strictly religious: its impact was culturalâ¦it contributed to a process of change that would replace the âDark Agesâ with what is called the âRenaissance.â  WHY? While there are several reasons one can give, in sentence form, provide ONE âreally powerfulâ reason. You will need to understand what is meant by the term âRenaissanceâ in order to answer this question. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________       (3pts)

10. According to notes provided, the years in which we see the emergence of a style of thinking in European culture which is called Gothic: A. 500-1000 BCE   B. 1100s and 1200s CE    C. 1300-1500 BCE

11. This era (âGothicâ) in European/Western history is called the: A. early Middle Ages B. High Middle Ages or Age of Faith

12. Changes brought into being by the Gothic mentality faded quickly from Western society, never to be seen again. TRUE OR FALSE

13. After reviewing what the text and Instructorâs Notes say about the most prominent traits associated with the Gothic mentality of Medieval Europe, briefly explain what is âGothicâ about each of the followingâ¦be specific about how a particular trait (such as complexity or intricacy or personalistic, etc.) is manifested (2 each for a total of 8 pts.):

a.     Cathedrals: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.     Literature: Dante:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c.      Thomas Aquinasâs SUMMA (philosophical theology):_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d.     Relationship between Abelard and Heloise: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. The Gothic era is seen as an emerging âNew Humanismâ, a step forward in how humanist values are interpreted and applied to cultural achievements such as architecture, sculpture, literature, and even gender. It leads directly into the sort of developed humanistic mindset of the European Renaissance. When we look at Dante (DIVINE COMEDY), Boccaccio (DECAMERON), Petrarch (Sonnets, essays ), and Chaucer (CANTERBURY TALES) what stands out as quite a new perspective in applying humanist values? In other words, what is this new form of humanism in the Gothic era that is NOT merely a copy of classical Greco-Roman humanism?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(3)

15.  One also cannot help but wonder how much Augustineâs CONFESSIONS anticipated this âNew Humanismâ though he wrote at the onset of the Fall of Rome and the Dark Ages! In other words, how is Augustineâs CONFESSIONS very much like these Gothic and early Renaissance writers?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(3)

16. From the previous questions (especially 13-15), all of which relate in some way to the concept called âhumanism,â it should be obvious that from an actual, historical perspective, the cultural term âhumanismâ is easily covered by a simple, single, dictionary definitionâ¦there is no complexity associated with its use.  TRUE OR FALSE

17. The increasing use of the vernacular in formal literature of every genre was a sure sign of the spread of humanistic values, not to mention carrying the potential for infusing a democratizing force into Western European societyâ¦for fundamentally transforming the political and religious status quo in Europe. TRUE OR FALSE

18. By the 1200s we see a return of republican political principles in European society. One example is the rise of city-states on the Italian Peninsula, such as Florence and Sienna. In terms of politics and government, these city-states were ârepublicanâ because they admired authoritarian rulers.  TRUE OR FALSE

19.  Another example of a return to republican rule (in principle) is the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 in England. This represented the first formal document of English republican, constitutional history because: A. it means literally â the king must abdicate his throneâ  B. it means âmagnificent Marxist revolutionâ  C. it means â the kingâs authority is limited by the authority of the people (though at that time âthe peopleâ meant mainly aristocrats or land owners).

20. According to the way we have interpreted and applied the concept of ârule of lawâ in this course, wherever we see it operating in a community of people, we can say they are practicing a form of humanism (whether a religious or secular version). TRUE OF FALSE

21. During the early Renaissance, with the rise of merchant-based city-states and their aggressive development of techniques in banking and accounting, we find the emergence of âcapitalistâ economic practices. Conceptually, what is really important to understand about this new way of economic thinking, if we are to recognize how unique it is in comparison with the ancient economies that were based on land resources and farming alone? A. money becomes the leading medium of exchange instead of barter  B. profit motive is essential to productivity C. in principle anything (including ideas as well as intangible property) can be commercialized D. wealth now is created, not merely traded  E. all of these

22. In humanist writers such as Dante and Petrarch, and even in famous paintings by the masters of the High Renaissance (Da Vinci, Raphael, etc.) we see that the status or social role of European women is being enhanced. What sort of âenhancementâ was happening for women in European culture as shown in these artists? But also, how were women in Europe during this era yet quite limited?___(4pts)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   

23. In what way (s) can we argue that Eleanor of Aquitaine and Christine de Pisan were among the very first true âfeministsâ in Western Civilization? Write about ONE of these women.       (3pts)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. According to your textbook, the Black Plague hit Europe the hardest in the mid-14^th century. However, this was not the first time it struck parts of Europe (and other places in the world); nor would it be the last time it would strike.   TRUE OR FALSE

25. When we survey Western history, we must conclude that Jewish communities survived hard times (such as the Black Death) and even prospered because they generally lived in Christian kingdoms and city-states and were protected by the Church. TRUE OR FALSE

26. One of the main effects of the Black Plague was to cause many Europeans to question the authority of status quo power elitesâfeudal lords, kings, and church officials (including Popes)--because these persons did not do their main job of providing: A. protection   B. medical help  C. scientific expertise  D. entertainment in times of crisis

27. The Black Plague promoted acceptance of humanist values because the pattern in which it killed people was that economically poor, politically weak, and unspiritual people were the first to get sick and die. TRUE OR FALSE

28. The biggest moral problem the Church had with emerging capitalism in late medieval times was: A. money B. profit motive C. property ownership D. personal freedom

29. By the time we get to the era known as âthe Renaissanceâ, it is clear that Western civilization is a uniform, highly predictable, internally consistent cultural system free of social and intellectual tensions or contradictions. TRUE OR FALSE

30. The term âRenaissanceâ refers to an era in which it becomes clear that Western Civilization only cares about the classical Greco-Roman past and making an effort to imitate it. Basically, Renaissance Europeans wanted and tried to live in the past with no thought of creative change and achieving even More Than the ancients. TRUE OR FALSE

31. Religious (in Europe that would be Christian) humanism came to believe that the only source of authority for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness is God alone; humans do not share in that authority at all. TRUE OR FALSE

32. Renaissance art (architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, etc.) is increasingly realistic, naturalistic, individualistic, and egalitarian. Arguably, who might be given credit for a cultural-historical stream of thought that prepared the way intellectually for it to flourish?  A. Socrates. B. Socrates or C. Socrates

33. The technique of scientific perspective developed by Renaissance artists was a byproduct of what classical humanist value? A. individualism B. realism C. rule of law

34. In the mind of Renaissance humanists, especially non-religious humanists, the essential meaning of individualism was that one has the natural right to do whatever he wants regardless of the rule of law or social morality. TRUE OR FALSE

35. Which ancient term or phrase comes closest to describing the lives and minds of Renaissance artists/thinkers, and what their achievements embody in Western civilization?  A. Lex Rex  B. piety  C. republicanism  D. philosopher king  E. arête (heroic ideal)

36. One major way in which Renaissance artists shaped Western values was in demonstrating the social and economic importance of legally protecting: A. social conformity  B. becoming clones of oneâs parents C. individual competition and freedom of expression

37. Scholars have noted a clear presence of âexistential realismâ in the writings of Boccaccio and Chaucer. What does that phrase mean in this context and how may it be argued that experience of the Black Death may have had a great deal to do with it?   (4pts)

38. 

Now time to think comparatively in a much broader context. From the ancient Greeks and Romans, the world has been influenced (even to the present day) by the following concepts: arête; gravitas; pietas. It may be argued that this claim is true even though people today might never have heard the terms used explicitly. Think of other cultures that we studied in this course-- India, China, Islamic societies, etc. Pick TWO of these concepts and think analytically about whether or not people from any of these other cultures would have understood what they meant. Write a paragraph for each concept selected. First, define the concept you wish to apply; second, apply it in a way that is clear and evidence-based. (4 pts. each= 8pts total)     ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EXTRA CREDIT:

Write briefly about the most intriguing culture you studied in this course. Be clear to explain why you find this culture so intriguing.  POINTS AWARDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW MUCH REFLECTION IS PUT INTO YOUR ANSWER: LOOKING FOR THOROUGHNESS AND CLARITYâ¦AND A SENSE OF WHAT ARISTOTLE CALLED âPATHOSâ OR PASSION (personal authenticity).