Respond to 1 of the questions based on your reading.
1 - To what degree are Europeans responsible for the troubles in modern Africa?
2 - Who was the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century? Why? (You may discuss someone from the assigned readings or another individual.)
3 - What's up with the facial hair? (Optional, will not receive credit.)
55 comments:
Nietzsche is the most influential philosopher of the 19th century. Essentially, Nihilism was an unknown philosophy, and most of its contents were considered taboo. The dominant philosophies outside of Catholicism and Protestantism was some form of Deism. Most people simply refused to accept the belief that there was no God, those who observed Atheism were written of as unethical (and some may have been), but Nietzsche and his views on Nihilism paved a realistic argument that would eventually allow atheism to be accepted in western society.
Essentially, the tenets of Nietzsche's Nihilism is that everything is essentially an idea or a concept. This includes the idea and concept that everything is an idea or concept. We project upon the world our own morality. Nothing can be proven to actually exist because even thoughts and touch rely on us assuming our senses and the world around us is real. There is no objective way to prove this. We must live assuming this be true, but as Bill Hicks would eventually say, "there's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."
When Nietzsche put forth his ideas in a logical manner, he allowed for people to become atheist. He proved that one could think like that. If making a new way to think acceptable does not make Nietzsche the most influential 19th century philosopher, I don't know what makes someone the superman of philosophers.
Separate facial hair answer coming soon...
Oh yeah... and I got first post :)
In my personal opinion the turmoil that Africa is currently facing is caused largely in part of the European countries that divided it up during the age of imperialism. The colonization of Africa caused two main problems that lead to the chaos that ensued after the countries gained independence. The first was forcing a number of different tribal groups together while splitting up others when the European nations divided up Africa. This created internal conflicts within the new nations between warring tribes as they struggled to gain political power within the new nations. Each tribe had its own interest in mind and this prevented the people of the new nations from coming together and forming a new national identity that was necessary in the new country. Eventually these countries will break apart and new countries will be formed with those who share similar ethnic background. This was seen with the German states in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The European nations also removed the leadership and governments that had existed in Africa for millenniums in order to gain control over their new territories. By the time the Europeans left Africa there was no African leadership left and without European leadership the new Africans states fell into a state of chaos. This because the Europeans left no structure of leadership for the new nations to build on, they just left. Because they just left it gave no time for the people of these African states to slowly take over the government for themselves and build off of what the Europeans created. So they were instead left in chaos which allowed dictators to come to power and take over the new African states. However those who come to power by force do not often give it up. These dictatorships would then lead to unrest among the people of the nation and the cycle will be renewed.
It is my opinion that Herbert Spencer was the most influential thinker of the 19th century. There is much evidence that his idea of Social Darwinism had a lasting impact on European society. His idea of the “survival of the fittest” could be seen in practice in the industrial, capitalist, European economies, for Conservatives of the time argued that a policy of laissez-faire was necessary to ensure that the strongest businesses survived and helped to make the nation-state prosperous. Although the government began to intervene in the economy in the later part of the 19th century, the majority of the populace continued to hold the view that life was difficult, and that self-sufficiency and independence was necessary for survival. Social Darwinism was also put into practice when Europeans began to imperialize other parts of the globe. Advocates for expansionism argued that Europeans were part of a “superior race,” and that they had the right to colonize in order to “civilize and tame the heathen” of Africa, Asia, and Australia. They viewed the natives as savages, and the Europeans forced them to adopt their western culture. Racism became more present in European societies, and mostly in Germany as a result of Herbert Spencer’s Social Darwinism. Philosophers like Houston Stewart Chamberlain took Herbert Spencer’s Social Darwinism to a great extreme. He was a major advocate of the belief that Germans were direct descendants of a special, Aryan race. His ideas would shape the racist and anti-Semitic attitudes of the German people, and would be used by Hitler to justify going to war with other nations. Clearly, Herbert Spencer and his motto of “the survival of the fittest” had astounding influences on European culture in the 19th (and even in the 20th) century.
I believe that the most influential philosopher/thinker of the 19th Century was Sigmund Freud. Freud came up with the basic theory that our mind contains memories or emotions that are not always available to us in our conscious mind, but appear in our unconscious mind. Basically, Freud is saying that some memories we cannot access while we are awake, and they will only present themselves in our sleep. Freud’s Interpretations of Dreams opened up the field of psychoanalysis and the field of study that goes along with it. Although Freud’s general conclusions were not correct, he did leave a lasting impression on this field of study, and some of his theories are used today in the analysis of dreams. The idea that adults trace their problems back to their childhood began with Freud and this idea is still very popular today. The main theory that Freud came up with was the fact there are emotions buried deep into the brain appear during sleep in the form of dreams. These dreams when analyzed can give that person an idea of the emotions that are buried deep below. Freud was the founder of modern day psychoanalysis and psychology. His works opened the people of the worlds’ eyes up to the unconscious mind and the fact that human’s do not really control their own minds. His pioneering work, The Interpretation of Dreams, would create a new field of study and be built upon by other philosophers and thinkers. Freud’s work earns him the honor as the most influential philosophers of the 19th century and beyond.
I believe that the turmoil occurring in modern Africa can largely be blamed on European involvement within the continent. Never before has a continent had so many influences within itself as Africa. The demise of the African way of life mainly started when the slave trade was established in Africa by various European countries. This was the beginning of the destruction of the construction of African society by distorting their economy and government with their influence. When the imperialist countries came into the African continent in the 19th century the face of Africa changed even more.
The Berlin act was signed in 1885 by many powerful European countries, which formalized the partition of Africa. All the countries had varying specific reasons for their control of land in Africa but they all obviously wanted to become more powerful. After the land was divided the European countries set up governments and economies that would help benefit their country. They had no regard for the people whose land they had taken; they were only interested in the advancement of their homeland. The division of the African land by outside nations also caused various conflicts seeing as many of the dividing lines disregarded tribal or religious boundaries that had been set up in Africa for years. Unity was difficult in many of the newly founded European colonies due to the opposing tribes that were forced to live together who wanted their own countries that had similar tribal backgrounds.
The European colonies also lacked African involvement within the colonies, which would lead to the troubles of the independent countries founded from the colonies. The European powers controlled everything within the colonies, and usually had people from their homeland rule them. The total involvement within the government and economy caused for major problems when the European countries would abandon the colonies when they became independent in recent years, leaving these newly formed African countries in chaos. Therefore it’s safe to say that the greed of European countries led to the turmoil that modern Africa is now in.
It is my opinion that Herbert Spencer was the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century. I believe this to be the case for two qualified reasons. Firstly, because his theory of evolution and natural selection have impacted society in ways still felt worldwide. And secondly, for his creation of Social Darwinism.
Herbert Spencers ideology of evolution was that it was the "progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies." In this way he related his views into his daily life by most famously coining the phrase 'survival of the fittest.' This term was his way of representing his idea that the government should have little to do with business, and that the wealthy (aka the fittest) were rich due to some evolutionary advantage. In this way he deemed higher evolved people to be the most fit for society, in which case he was prejudiced against those less socially developed. This influenced many within Europe to partake in his ideals and agree upon a need for laissez-faire government. And not only was he one of the most popular philosophers of his time period, but he was also the only one to ever sell over a million copies of his novels, creating a wide fan base to spread his ideas further and making him that much more influential.
A step further into his theories of evolution was his creation of Social Darwinism. This was a model that applied law to his phrase, 'survival of the fittest.' He believed nothing should interfere with nature's laws, as he was under the impression an equilibrium within society would eventually occur in which an ultimate state of perfection would be reached. This ideal state of society was a popular idea within the 19th century, once again adding to his credibility as the most influential philosopher and thinker of the time period.
The Europeans severely impacted Africa during the 19th century which has led to numerous troubles in their modern day lives. To begin, Europeans were responsible for invading and then occupying large parts of Africa. In doing so, borders were randomly divided given the needs of the Europeans and their colonies, without thought to the African people and how much the land is an integral part of their society and culture. The movement of borders also mixed the territories of tribes that were enemies, and created much anger and violence within African sentiments. Not only this, but some tribal lands were also occasionally split in half, which in essence was the Europeans giving their enemies large quantities of their land.
However, violence between the tribes was not always a personal matter, as the Europeans also forced Africans to attack other colonies and raid villages to gain more land. This created tense feelings within tribal groups that before had not come in conflict with one another. The Europeans selfish foals to improve their own economy truly destroyed political and social dynamics of the African people that are still affecting them to this day.
In leaving Africa this way, the Europeans had left it without any structural integrity to build itself up from the ruin they had left them in. There were no stable governments, riches, or resources available to the african people so as to build a proper modernized society. Due to this, Africa has yet to recover from the influence of the European people, as their devastation during the 19th century seems as if it will endure the test of time.
Personally, I think the turmoil that Africa is facing is in fact largely the fault of the Europeans in the 19th century and is continuing as we speak. Firstly, the Europeans were very much responsible for dividing territory for their own gain and knowingly forcing different African tribes together. This evidently lead to many conflicts within each group trying to eliminate one another for political power and gain. In each group there were many different ideas and thoughts they carried with them, and with the forcibly combining of the tribes, the conflicts got out of hand.
Secondly, the combination of political power and economic exploitation of Africa because of the Europeans soon led to Africa's poor political and economic development even into the late 20th century.
According to "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa", a book written by Walter Rodney, Rodney bluntly states that the operation of the Europeans imperialist systems was the major cause of Africa's poor economy by draining Africa's wealth and making it hard for them to rebuild themselves. He also states that it was the European's greed for their exploitation from inside Europe to cover the whole of Africa.
Eventually, everything the Europeans did to Africa lead to the constant and never-ending turmoil in Africa.
In my humble opinion, I believe the turmoil in Africa is the fault of Europeans to a degree. Africa needed to be circumvented in the journey to China by sea, where a large amount of the trading was done. As Europeans began to explore Africa and also, when the European nations required a labor force for many of the new colonies these nations were founding, they sought to find those solutions in Africa. They found that the continent had abundant natural resources of minerals and agricultural products. They also found the residents of the continent as a potential labor source. The crudely armed natives could be coerced into trading slaves and goods for weapons and ‘luxuries’ of the European world. Thus the mindset for these Africans was established. The Europeans typically demanded manpower, and in exchange give the natives weapons. Tribes would fight other tribes, in an attempt to enslave their populace to trade with the Europeans. This mindset would only be enforced to a degree later on, when in attempts to discover more of Africa, resources such as diamonds were exploited. We watched in class how the British came and, for the wealth just ripped up the societies as they plundered the lands. They deposed a ruler of a region to start more diamond digs.
When the Europeans also started making and claiming territory in Africa, they drew up borders that went through tribal territory borders. Many of the tribes still survived, and after the Europeans left Africa, the drawn up borders remained, and the tribes that were in these countries would not be able to unite. Confusion and wars, unrest and dictatorships grew, and the governments were constantly unstable. If the Europeans made borders that were around tribal regions, set up governments of sorts for the Africans, or even just not create situations where tribes swallow other tribes to trade, they probably would not have the problems they do now.
Andras
I am of the opinion that the German socialist philosopher Karl Marx was the most influential of the great thinkers of the 19th century. Marx's ideas regarding the progression of capitalism to absolute socialism, the ideal communist state, and proletarian revolution had tremendous ramifications in many leftist, and, through them, came to exert enormous influence over the world as a whole. Through Eduard Bernstein and his revisionist school of Marxism, Marx's ideas entered, albeit often in significantly altered form, the more mainstream realm of liberal socio-economic thought in Western societies, interacting and integrating with the developing ideas of democratic socialism. While Marx's original ideas were heavily altered, adapted, and revised through this process, it remains nonetheless the case that influential liberals such as Bernstein and Jaures drew significantly upon Marx's original ideologies in formulating their political views and plans. On the other end of the spectrum, there exists Vladimir Lenin and the Soviet Union. While Bernstein and his compatriots tempered Marx's theories and adapted them into a form more readily suitable for peaceful, democratic, practical, and evolutionary propagation in Western countries, Lenin emphasized and, in some cases warped, Marx's concepts of the "dictatorship of the proletariat" and the revolutionary and violent spread of evolution. Indeed, Lenin's support for the aggressive implementation was so vehement that he cast aside the stated Marxist requirement for a prosperous capitalistic society upon which to base the Marxist revolution, instead advocating swift and dictatorial establishment of a Marxist society from the comparatively under-industrialized and agrarian economy of his native Russia. Of course, Lenin's Bolsheviks were not the only Russian Marxists, and the more moderate Mensheviks under Plekhanov played a notable role during the early days of the Russian Revolution. While, certainly, the Tsar was not himself forced to abdicate as a result of the intervention of the Bolsheviks and it is unlikely that the Provision Government would have been able to maintain Russian participation in the First World War regardless of Bolshevik intervention, the fact remains that the Bolsheviks, and by extension Marx and his ideologies, fundamentally shaped and defined the role and state of Russia in the modern world following the First World war. Russian social and economic policies were guided by Marxist proposals and the interpretations of Lenin and other Soviet leaders thereof. This in turn produced the state of affairs that lead to the alienation of Soviet Russia from Western affairs. The Marxist belief in the desirability and inevitability in the overthrow of Capitalism and a communal paradise of the proletariat was antithetical to the strong capitalistic undercurrents that had been ingrained in many prominent western states, especially Great Britain and the United States, and the natural desires of the ruling classes to maintain their wealth and authority. This was, of course, only exacerbated by Marx's call for global proletariat revolution and the ultimate dissolution of the nation-state, something which the Soviets, especially prominent figures such as Lenin and Trotsky, were also proponents of (and, indeed, sought to effect through the establishment of the Cominterm). The development of the Soviet Union as a firmly authoritarian, anti-capitalistic, socialist police state fundamentally alienated it from Western Powers and set the course for future relations between the West and the Soviet Union, leading directly to the decades-spanning Cold War and the restructuring of many European (as in the assimilated Soviet Republics and the Soviet satellites of the Eastern Bloc) and Asian societies/governments. Additionally, the radical activities of such Marxists as Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknicht played a very significant role in producing the conservative backlash (and increasing government dependency upon the reactionary Freikorps) in Weimar Germany and post-War Italy, helping to generate support for reactionaries such as Mussolini and Hitler among various elements of society and thereby enabling their ascendancy. Thus, Marx's ideologies and their subsequent interpretations and implementations can also be cited as indirect factors in effecting the rise of Fascist regimes and thus World War II, in addition to their very direct role in producing the enormously influential power that was Soviet Russia. This is not to mention the ideological roots of modern China, which remains a Communist nation to this day. Karl Marx can consequently have been said to have been immeasurably influential in the modern world, having a vast influence on not only a great number of different political movements and beliefs, but also the lives of billions of humans and the state of modern geopolitics.
Modern difficulties and conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa can, to a significant degree, be attributed to European imperialism and its long-term consequences for the indigenous peoples it affected. In exploiting Africa, imperialistic European powers exerted a tremendous and irreversible influence upon the state of local populations. Firstly, in colonizing and subjugating various regions of Africa, the European powers inevitably came into conflict with numerous local hierarchies and political entities. Owing to the general superiority of their equipment and the state of their militaries and industries, European powers attained great success in establishing Imperial claims on the continent. In the process, they deposed and slew numerous powerful African leaders, dispersed and decimated many tribal groups, and generally imposed the destruction of indigenous establishments and the domination of European Imperial governments. This was followed by economic oppression and plundering of African peoples as well as demographic re-organization that would readily lead to conflicts between historically opposed ethnic groups and tribal structures. Suppression of Africans in politics and economy deprived locals of vital experience in social/political organization and leadership and experience in economic management. When the powers of Europe finally abandoned or were ousted from sub-Saharan Africa, the region was left in a state of ethnic turmoil, social and economic disorder, and industrial under-development (while at the same time being now readily open to imports from more industrially developed nations). Complex African states formed without any tradition of government or connection to past leadership, tribal tensions resurfaced, attempts at industrial development were inhibited or suppressed by foreign competition, more efficient modern agricultural techniques in developed nations readily undercut local producers resulting in agricultural failures and eventual famines when imports or aid failed to arrive, valuable natural resources were often dominated by avaricious foreign corporations, and so on and so forth. The formation of stable nation-states and effective democratic systems requires time, focus, and suitable economic conditions, which did not exist in many of the new African states that formed in the wake of European departures from the continent. These conditions resulted directly from European intervention and imperialism, and it is thus that the current state of Africa is, to a great degree, a product of the actions of European empires during the 19th century.
To me, it is very clear that the Europeans colonization of Africa in the late 19th and early 20th century is responsible for much of the present turmoil in Africa. The most evident reasons for this can be seen by simply looking at a map of Africa in the year 1914, where only two territories in Africa remained independent from the plethora of money hungry European countries. Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal all divided up Africa, often sporadically, and with some territories separated by thousands of miles. However, Africa was not some new undiscovered land that the European nations had found and was now working to populate, it was a fully functioning continent made up of numerous territories with firmly established tribal borders and an overall functioning society. In effect, the European nations disregarded these pre-established borders by creating their own countries and territories, and in many cases displacing African’s from their tribes and causing border conflicts between tribes who were now forced to give up their land to each other. When the Europeans eventually were forced to give up their claims in Africa, some of these tensions did not leave along with them and still have lasting impacts in Africa today which can be seen in the Dharfur Genocide, the Congo, and other areas of Africa. The Europeans did not only divide Africa but they also depleted it of many of its resources in order to fuel their high economic motives. Surely this did not have a positive effect on Africa, and still does not today. Finally, the Europeans essentially built up a governmental system in Africa just as fast as they would eventually tear it down, leaving much of Africa in chaos with the incredible task of rebuilding a functioning government, and pretty much a functioning society. Even today, much of the African countries face corrupt and weak government structures which only add to the problems that the continent faces. Again, I believe that to say the Europeans are not responsible for much of the turmoil in Africa today would be a completely false statement.
In my opinion Sigmund Freud was the most influential thinker of the 19th century. Freud came up with ideas and theories about the human mind that no one before him had thought up. Many of his theories related to the unconscious mind and the reasons behind our actions. Freud is also well known for his development of the use psychoanalysis for physiological treatment. His works make him the well-known father of Psychology. Freud is well known for his theory that people are born with an unconscious in which powerful aggressive drives, and defenses against them, struggle for supremacy. The 19th century physiologist named these things the id, ego, and superego. Freud’s ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ also brought forth a new idea never discussed in the field of physiology. In this work Freud states that dream are not mere accidental creations of the mind, but part of nature that have an important meaning. Freud also stressed many of his theories on the idea that a persons childhood reflected the way they acted as adults. While many of Freud’s theories proved to be not entirely correct, he definitely left a lasting impression in history. His method of using psychoanalysis as a treatment is still used today. Psychoanalysis is used as a way to investigate the mind through talking and a method of treatment of physiological and emotional illness. Needless to say Sigmund Freud had shaped the mind of the 19th and 20th century more than any other thinker of the time.
In my opinion, the most influential thinker of the 19th century was the English philosopher and founder of utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham. Bentham’s utilitarianism stated that the worth of an action was determined by the action’s contribution to overall happiness or the pleasure of others. To Bentham, humans faced only two things in life, pleasure and pain, with pain being anything causing harm to a person or people in any way. He stated that “They [pleasure and pain] govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think...” During a time of slavery, executions, revolts, and bloody wars, these ideas were largely out of place and quite radical. However, they would prove to be extremely influential in the expansion of freedoms that would take place as the 1800’s developed into the 1900’s.
One of Bentham’s most notable contributions to society that stemmed off from his utilitarianistic ideals was his work in the field of animal rights. He argued that animal’s felt pain just as humans did and that the “ability to suffer, not the ability to reason” was how mankind should determine its treatment of living creatures. He also stated that since creatures were treated based on their ability to reason then it would only be fair that babies and disabled people would also be treated as “animals.” As a result of Bentham’s arguments, animal rights groups began to become more prominent and more concern over the wellbeing of animals was created. Another one of Bentham’s important ideas was his belief in complete equality for women and homosexuals. He stated that the legal inferiority of women is what made him want to become a reformist when he was a child, and voiced his desire for women’s right throughout his life. Among other things, Jeremy Bentham was also an advocate for individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, the end of slavery, the abolition of physical punishment, the abolition of child abuse, the right to divorce, free trade, and the abolition of the death penalty. As you can see, almost all of Bentham’s beliefs are issues that hold a tremendous amount of weight in modern society and dominate our social and political groups. Most of Bentham’s ideas have been applied to society, a feat which I think is unmatched by any other 19th century philosopher. Bentham’s beliefs are over 100 years old but remain contemporary today, and it is for that reason why I believe that Jeremy Bentham is the most influential thinker of the 19th century.
I find I am able to see both positive and negative effects from imperialism in Africa. Therefore, the unstable state of Africa today can only somewhat be attributed to European colonization on the continent. Colonization did bring important technology, industry, and other advances to Africa. Before European nations took interest in Africa, they had very little technology or industry. Trading interest began to help economies within Africa, and colonization brought industry and technology that the Africans lacked before. Prior to European involvement, government in Africa was comprised of tribes. Although some provided a degree of stability, it should also be noted that some were actually fairly uncivilized. However, racism would play a part in European government in Africa, ultimately making it unfair and resulting in class conflicts. Some other fundamental problems with colonization perhaps outweigh its benefits. When the European nations left Africa, they did not leave in such a manner as to allow the states gradual self-government. Instead, Europe left abruptly, and African governments would fall into a state of instability. Africa was undoubtedly changed when Europe left them. The economic improvements that African nations had seen would prove only temporary, as Europeans did not build enough infrastructure to permanently provide basis for Africa to have a self sufficient economy, nor self sufficient government. The weak governments were taken over by selfish dictators. While Europe is not completely responsible for all the disaster in Africa, there were some obvious detrimental effects of colonization.
In my opinion, the most influential late nineteenth century thinker was Sigmund Freud. Freud is best known for his theories about the unconscious mind, particularly believing that dreams provided major insight into subconscious desires. He is considered the founder of modern psychoanalysis and psychology. Although many of his ideas proved essentially incorrect, some fundamental respects of modern day psychology can be traced back to Freud’s work. For example, his ideas of levels of consciousness remain important as he asserted that different functions of the mind operate at different levels. Also, some of his ideas about hypnosis are still used in analysis of dreams. His ideas about repression are interesting, as he believed the subconscious mind works to remove thoughts that cause guilt or upset from the conscious part of the brain. Freud also believed that sexual desire completely fuels human energy, which is obviously not true but still pretty funny/interesting. Freud’s ideas were somewhat marked by error, but I still believe he made a lasting impact by calling to attention the topic of psychology, as this is a very important topic relating to human health that had yet to be explored.
In my opinion Europeans are very responsible for the troubles in modern Africa. The Europeans were the people who imperialized Africa. They took over the governments of the budding tribes and countries and put them under the control of their country. If the Africans had been able to grow and progress by themselves and not under European control, then modern Africa might not have as many problems as it does now. The imperialism of foreign countries had a large impact on Africa. Many African scholars and politicians, who would have been able to educate the country and take control, were killed off by the Europeans because they were a threat to their rule. All of the capable individuals were dispensed with so all that was left was the uneducated peasants. Without any form of African leadership, the peasants were easily overruled by the imperialist forces. Modern Africa is just getting back their generations of scholars and politicians, so there may be some hope for Africa in the near future. From these reasons I would say that European Imperialism has had a major affect on the African continent. in the future the African countries will eventually be able to sustain their own economies and the effects of European Imperialism will have worn off.
I feel that the Europeans are responsible for most of the turmoil apparent in modern day Africa. The African countries have all been influenced in some way by the rivaling European nations pushing for land, materials, and gold. Much of the instability within these African countries comes directly from the European rule that showed up, destroyed the civilizations that ran the different areas throughout the continent, and then left, leaving the areas they inhabited in turmoil and distress. The European powers controlled everything within the colonies, and usually had men from their own countries rule the territories. The total involvement within the government and economy caused for major problems when the European countries abandoned the colonies. Now that these countries are independent from their former rulers, the countries are filled with genocide and many troubles for their lack of experience in ruling their own country.
I believe that the turmoil and trouble in Africa is greatly the result of the Europeans during the age of imperialism. The Europeans broke apart tribes in their quest for land and gold. They reworked borders of their newly claimed land yet failed to keep tribes together. Different tribes were then forced into the same land which is a cause for trouble today. Tribes are struggleing for influence and power over other tribes which are now in close proximity with eachother which has been causing wars and turmoil between the people today. Violence has been breaking out all over Africa for a long time now because of the borders the Europeans drew up to meet the needs of themselves. The Europeans only cared about gaining raw materials and port cities but by paying attention to only those needs and createing borders according to that they destroyed the fabric of Africa leading to the violence and aggression today. Europeans also left Africa in a state that was not beneficial to those people who live there today. They brought new technology and machines to help better themselves and their economies but once they were done in Africa the indigenous people were not able to maintain a stable economy. Africa was left without an economy, was underindustrialized because they could not get new technology, and they suffer from the new social organization that the Europeans drew out. Therefore the Europeans are definitely responsible for the turmoil and troubles in Africa today.
I think the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century was Sigmund Freud. His interpretation of dreams shows great insight into the human mind. He came up with the idea that our mind contains memories that we only end up remembering in our dreams. He also found that dreams are either wishes or fears that are fullfilled in the dreams. Freud created a new way to analyze the mind and led to new ideas in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis which are still used today to diagnos certain behaviors. Though his ideas are not all believed today they paved the way and gave basis to what is used today to help interpret the mind. Saying our dreams are fullfilled wishes to me seems like a statement that is seen in peoples dreams. Its even seen in Cinderella when they say “a dream is a wish your heart makes.” He also paved the way because today we know as you dream there is brain activity while you sleep. It makes sense that after dreams you can feel sad or happy and mad because of memories that are recollected as you sleep. Freud showed why people took certain actions because of their unconscious mind. Though his ideas were not all correct he did give people something to think about and pushed people to learn more about the mind as we sleep.
The 19th century was marked by a series of power strugges among empires. In addition, it was time of discovery, when people strived to advance in their understanding of the world that they lived in. The workings of the world had affected many philosophers and influenced their thoughts. One of these philosophers included John Stuart Mill. He was a political influence, a philosopher, and a brilliant man who foresaw the economy. His extension of Jeremy Bentham's utilitarianism and derival of the harm principle made him a great influence of the 19th century.
Mill was a well-spoken man and had harbored many theories. He wrote "On Liberty", a philosophical work that advocated for moral and economical improvement of the individual. He fought for free speech. For his work, Mill was the voice of many who were unspoken during this time. His works caused many to reevalute the state of their surroundings and their own well-being. Mill had them question about their own status and what they could do to improve it.
His harm principle, derived from his view on liberty, is, in some aspects, still followed today. Mill thinks that one person should be free to do whatever he pleases but should not go as far as to harm other people. And when things do get out of hand, the government should interfer but only for the protection of the people. This harm principle is present in today system of governing. Free speech and free press are essentially not as free. Newspapers funded by schools can be censored. Protests can be stopped by the authorities. The government is afraid to have some speeches allowed that could harm or offend others. Mill objected censorship, and many people today feel the same as him.
He was also sympatetic towards the cause of the slaves and also women. He debased the argument that slavery was justified by the genetic inferiority of its people. He supported the liberation of women from their inferior status to men.
John Stuart Mill was incredibly influential during the nineteenth century because of his works and he continues to be an important figure of history.
I feel that the Europeans are responsible for the trouble that Africa is facing today. The Europeans came in to Africa with the hopes of imperializing it and nothing else. They were only out to get more land for its natural resources and did not care much about the people who were living on the land. This caused them to break up tribes that had been established in certain areas for a long time and move them elsewhere. By doing so these tribes were now infringing on other tribe’s land. This is cause for much of the violence that is taking place today in Africa. If the Europeans had not disturbed the natural set up of the tribes the conflict over land and clashing of cultures could have been completely avoided. Also Africa did not get a chance to fully grow and develop by having the Europeans come in and imperializing their country. Before the Europeans came to Africa each tribe had its own system of government that worked for it. They had certain laws and a certain way of life which everyone in the tribe would follow as they had for centuries past. While their style of living was out of date from that of European nations and did not have the same technology as they did, it worked for them. By having the Europeans come in and corrupt this it caused havoc to these tribes. This caused the distribution to a well working form of government. After the Europeans abruptly left, the Africans were not able to form another strong government. This has also lead to many violent coups to overthrow one form of government for another, causing unstable nations. In addition to this many of the strong, influential African leaders at this time of imperialism were killed off because they were seen as a threat to the Europeans. This caused Africa to be without some of its leaders so they were not able to revolt and get the Europeans off of their land. Then once the Europeans did leave, there was no on to really take over and help get things back on track in Africa. It was a combination of all these effects that Europeans had on Africa when they were imperializing that caused Africa to be in the current state that it is in today.
European exploration and colonization in Africa throughout previous centuries has played an incredible role in contributing to the troubles in modern Africa. From their entry into this foreign continent to their disgruntled withdraw, those European powers that conquered African territory drastically altered the African way of life.
Prior to European imperialism, the African way of life was primitive. Society was divided by tribe, technology was but the most basic of tools, and the economy was primarily a barter system. European entry into this system brought about profound change. Initially, the Europeans established trading stations along the African coastline, but over time as the need for resources and desire for power grew these nations eagerly forged their way into the African mainland, claiming massive amounts of land in the name of their respective mother countries. And thus, those who had inhabited the land eons before any white man set foot upon it were now subject to the will of an alien body, one which cared little for the African people. The European people replaced the governing bodies which had previously ruled the African people with their own consuls. The African people were put to work, set to develop the expanding empires of Europe, in essence slaves once again, only this time on their own soil. The Africans had absolutely no say in the conditions laid out for them; those who tried to resist with violence were almost always brutally defeated. They were forced to mold to the will of the Europeans who now ruled them, forced to live within their new borders, forced to follow the decrees of a governing body not of their own, forced to forsake their own culture and history in favor of European pastimes.
The treatment of the African people by the Europeans has become the catalyst for a multitude of issues in Africa today. The struggle for power in these nations that we see today is caused by the fact that when the European nations left Africa, they quite simply departed, leaving the Africans to develop a governmental system for themselves. This matter is made worse by a multitude of factors, one being that the borders set in place by the Europeans were maintained once they granted their African subjects their freedom. These borders, as mentioned, did not take into account tribal boundaries and tribal conflict. Multiple African ethnicities were thus forced to reside with one another. There has been great conflict between these ethnicities over governmental power in these new countries which more often than not resulted in violent struggle. During their stay on the African continent, some European powers would develop ideas of racial superiority in the minds of their subjects. For example, the Germans and Belgians are said to have created the Tutsi and Hutu tribes of Africa, making the Tutsi superior to the Hutu by granting them higher positions in their colonial systems, basing their division merely upon facial features. This division has escalated to the point of incredible violence, as seen in Rwanda during the 1990’s. More conflict lies still between African opinion of European, and more generally, Caucasian, nations. Some Africans are in favor of working with these developed nations, believing that with their aid they too could develop their own nations into respectable and comfortable areas. Others, the more radical, cannot look past the grave mistreatment of the African people during European rule and hate and distrust the European people as a result. There is great tension between the two factions, who often battle for political powers in countries.
It is clear that the time of European colonization has had a profound impact upon Africa today. The Europeans came to Africa, greatly disrupting and altering the African way of life. They did so only to leave soon after, abandoning the Africans in a state of frail government, poor economic and living conditions, and great social tension. The mass hysteria and confusion that became the African way of life after European departure is a state the African people have yet to overcome.
I believe that Europeans are very responsible for the Modern troubles in Africa. When European nations colonized Africa, they arbitrarily drew up borders with a complete disregard for the territories’ native inhabitants. This forced tribal groups together who hadn’t previously coexisted, and separated tribes which had previously cooperated. This resulted in tribes starting to compete for power within these new states, and eventually going to war over these new conflicts. European imperialism also resulted in the development of strong nationalistic feelings in various ethnic and tribal groups. This further contributed to the scale and bloodiness of these conflicts.
In addition, in taking control over these areas in Africa, Europeans tended to eliminate local rulers and prevent local Africans from rising too far up in the ranks of the new governments they created. Even though some native Africans were able to gain education by traveling to European nations, they still had no experience running a country. This meant that when Europeans abruptly withdrew from their colonies after the Second World War, chaos ensued. The European tendency to favor some ethnic or tribal groups over others in their new governments also contributed to modern-day violence. Such a system brewed resentment, resentment that various groups would later take out on one another in violent conflict.
Also, Europe’s economic exploitation of Africa greatly contributed to today’s troubles. By so exploiting Africa’s resources and economic system, European powers left African countries without stable economies to build their nations on. this lead to further unrest.
In my opinion, the most influential thinker of the nineteenth century was Karl Marx. Marx came up with the philosophy of Coommunism, making a significant impact on history. He theorized that class struggle would occur, and the proletariat, or working class, would rise up and overthrow the bourgeois, or middle class. A classless, utopian society in which the workers controlled the means of production would occur. He released these theories in his Communist Manifesto, which ends with the words: WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE! The Manifesto would become one of the most influential documents in history, shaping the thoughts of many and helping to shape the course of history. Over time, his ideas would take hold. In 1917, they reached their greatest manifestation when Lenin founded the Soviet Union, with a predominantly Communist government. The Soviet Union would continue to be Communist right up until its collapse in the late 20th century. Its Communist policies would shape its policies and put it into opposition with democratic nations such as America, creating the Cold War, which was one of the events that defined the century. How would history have been different without Marx? Socialism may never have risen. The Communist Soviets might not have come to be. The Cold War might have turned out differently. These are just a few of his effects and influences. It's funny, though-Communism actually gets a bad rap, because it has consistently been turned into dictatorship by rulers such as Stalin. It is an idea good in principle, but not particularly realistic, because it is easy to move from it to dictatorship, which has happened several times. In summary, Karl Marx had an immense impact on world history and was thus one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century.
Question 2:
A great philosopher is not one whom creates an entirely new idea, but spreads this idea throughout the world. The idea they come up with, as well, is one that creates great controversy as it breaks the normal way that a subject is viewed. It is undeniable that the 19th century philosopher Charles Darwin changed the typical way of viewing the topic of the creation of man, one that is still argued about today. His book The Origin of Species presented the idea that man was not created by God as the public had believed since the beginning of time, rather man evolved from other organisms over a span of thousands and thousands of years. This idea of natural selection was one that the public had never been entirely exposed to; although Darwin may not have been the first to think of the idea, he was the first to publicize it. Only a great philosopher could sway members of the general public away from a major concept of religion, and only a great philosopher could create such a great controversy that led to the battle of science against religion, a battle that appears to have no end.
In the same way that Time Magazine chose Adolf Hitler as “Man of the Year” in 1938, I choose Karl Marx as one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. The “founder of communism”, Karl Marx publicized the utopia, where all men and women live happily and equally under an all-powerful government that chooses their jobs and gives them their food and homes; an idea exactly opposite of the prevailing capitalist economy. His “Communist Manifesto” inspired leaders such as Lenin to adopt his ideas and spread them throughout the world. Through Lenin, Marx was responsible for the creation of the Soviet Union and the battle between the communists and capitalist countries. His ideas, however much I may personally find them ridiculous, were truly revolutionary; the man who began the spread of communism can not be overlooked as possibly the most influential philosopher of his century.
I think Europeans are somewhat responsible for the troubles in modern Africa. In the late nineteenth century, Europeans went into Africa and divided it among themselves. This became known as the "Scramble for Africa". Countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Belgium rushed to colonize Africa and expand their borders into it. During this process, they divided up portions of Africa like little children clamoring for a piece of birthday cake-messily. The Europeans completely ignored how African societies were set up and drew their boundaries with no regard to ethnic groups or cultures. Thus, some groups were split up and others were forced together. This problem remained many years later when Africans gained independence, and presented a significant obstacle to peace and stability. By forcing different groups together, the British paved the way for much social unrest and conflict. Groups and tribes that may have been allied or friendly were split up, removing alliances and ties and contributing to disunity. The groups that were put together often had many differences culturally and thus could not coexist peacefully without strife, as their customs were so different as to cause tension. The lack of understanding about each other made it hard for them to work together and move past these differences. Consequently, as a result of this disunity and inability to work together, many new African nations were unable to attain stability and collapsed in fighting and conflict. This made it possible for military coups and dictatorships to occur, which has been a common feature in Africa. In fact, Africa as a whole has had a disturbing trend of strife and conflict, and African nations have been hard-pressed to attain stability. This can be traced back to European imperialism as a contributing factor.
For the question regarding the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century, I’m going to take some liberty on the wording of this question and discuss the man whose ideas I feel have been most influential upon my own life, this man being Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson is widely known as the leader of the Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century. Through many of his works, including his essay Self Reliance, Emerson challenged societal norms and placed strong emphasis upon individualism. In other works, such as the essay Nature, he discussed the importance of leading a life of simplicity with deep ties to nature. In a society which had so long been governed by the ideals and morals of religion, Emerson led a movement which led away from conformity in favor of introspection and individual thought. His works and ideas have been inspiration for philosophers and thinkers from his lifetime onward. In fact, his ideas provided influence for his contemporaries, including Henry David Thoreau. Today still, Emerson’s work and notable quotations are commonplace in terms of study. Because of his innovation to social and moral thinking, Emerson’s ideas have become a cornerstone for philosophical ideals. Being a person who spends a good portion of time thinking about the concepts of philosophy, I hold those who have made a large impact in the field in a certain regard. I especially regard Emerson due to the fact that my thinking lies along the lines of his own.
In his life, Emerson challenged all that was around him. He challenged religious, social, moral, and ethical norms. His thoughts were revolutionary for the time, and in turn developed a movement which was revolutionary in itself. His wisdom and intellect gave Emerson a lofty reputation which turned him into one of the most influential and respected men of his time. Emerson’s work moved to change the structure of society, a feat he progressed greatly toward achieving. The fact that his works are still widely renowned today is a testament to his influence. In my eyes and based on my own life, Emerson was definitely the most influential figure arisen from the 19th century
Europeans can be considered largely responsible for the struggles in modern day Africa. The age of imperialism brought about almost all of Africa being divided by the major powers of Europe. History has shown that the many of the major powers cannot resolve problems within their own countries, and they then brought this same rule into another continent. It seems that this can seem a large influence on what is occurring today. European history has proven that revolutionary upheaval can be quite common with the type of government that existed. Today, the same upheaval exists within African nations, and who is to say that European powers are not to blame? Conflicts of the European continent were in constant occurance within nations and between nations. Many African nations did not gain independence until the 20th century. This means most of these nations have not had their own government for even a century, which can't be expected to keep control within itself. Situations in Darfur and in the Congo can possibly be attributed to European imperialism. It is not possible to say whether or not the current conflicts would have occurred had European interference came about, so the history of imperialism can be blamed for these issues. Based on the history of Europe prior to the age of imperialism, the major European powers can be held responsible for the current predicaments that African nations face.
The chaos and confusion that modern-day Africa continues to suffer can be blamed almost entirely upon the Europeans. Today’s issues can obviously be traced back into the age of the imperialism when Europeans carved Africa into various territories and claimed different areas for themselves. These divisions were not based upon the well-being for the Africans but rather were created for the betterment of European expansion. Europeans never considered how these new boundaries grouped enemy tribal groups together and created issues and rivalries that continue to this day. Some of these ancient problems have created lasting and deadly actions between the Africans.
Europeans also carved up Africa while still refusing to provide it with any form of leadership but restricting it of its previous form of government. It was difficult for Europeans to mediate their new territories when they were separated by a body of water. Thus, issues continued to be created and were never truly resolved. This disorder also resulted in a loss of culture for the Africans. By destroying the foundation and overall civilization, Europeans also destroyed the African’s chance for a successful future. Europeans also began the slave trade throughout Africa. This barbaric movement tore the continent apart and created resentment towards the Europeans as well as those from the American colonies. Therefore overall most of the issues that Africa has suffered in the past and those that Africa continues to suffer are directly linked to European’s actions.
Europeans are very much responsible for the troubles plaguing modern day Africa. Lacking militarily, technologically, and organizationally during the scramble for African colonies, few African tribes were able to stand up against the Europeans. Africa was thus divided at the whim of the European nations. Borders ran through existing landholdings, splitting up tribe groups and forcing opposing tribal groups to live off the same land. Conflicts soon erupted between warring tribes, conflicts that are still seen today.
In addition to the partitioning of land, Europeans robbed the early African nations of their resources and people. Europeans saw the African continent as a jackpot of raw materials and slave labor and exploited the resources as much as they could. The strongest, young, males of the coastal tribes, the cream of the crop, were captured and shipped off to overseas colonies the Americas during. This exploitation produced gaps in leadership as the aging tribal leaders lacked successors to apprentice and eventually replace their roles. The lack of strong young males and females also brought devastating effects economically and socially as there were no hands to tend to the fields, provide for the community, and make families. European exploitation of slave labor was thus widely responsibly for the troubles of Africa in the past and its troubles in the present.
Along with exploitation of land, resources, and people; the Europeans brought racism to Africa. Apartheid, originally formulated in South Africa, spread throughout Africa and into the Americas. This belief that Africans were inferior to the white skinned Europeans brought tension and conflict to South Africa and the world abroad. Europeans are widely responsibly for the troubles in modern day Africa.
I would have to say that the turmoil in Africa is very largely due to European influence. Before Europeans arrived, Africa was split into tribal territories, some advancing more than others as they built special cities for their people. Without European intervention and exploitation of labor and resources, such advancements would have grown into successful civilizations that could flourish for centuries, only worrying about tribal disputes.
However, the Europeans interrupted the advancement process by consuming the necessary wealth resources and depleting the workforce through enslavement of able-bodied people and exile of those who did not fit in with the new false societies created by the white settlers. As a result, the whites formed a system in which whites thrived while blacks suffered, causing severe resentment within the native black population. Eventually, such resentment would lead to revolts, causing chaos and widespread death and destruction as the natives were slaughtered by the modern European weaponry, leaving the natives even more embittered. Those who did succeed in revolution, such as in Zimbabwe, found a new problem to face. With all industries controlled by the Europeans, such as agriculture, the exile of the Europeans meant the loss of almost the entire workforce for such industries, along with the technology they had used.
Without any knowledge on how to run such industries, or the countries themselves, the new native governments became extremely corrupt and inefficient, leading to widespread starvation coupled with mass slaughtering of those who refused to conform to the ways of the new regimes. Such conditions are obviously much worse than the simple tribal disputes that would have continued to occur without European intervention, meaning that such intervention did, indeed, cause great turmoil within Africa.
2 - Who was the most influential thinker/philosopher of the 19th century? Why? (You may discuss someone from the assigned readings or another individual.)
The most influential thinker of the 19th century would be Herbert Spencer. This honor is bestowed upon him because of the creation of Social Darwinism. Since learning about Social Darwinism, last year it has amazed me that Spencer was able to, appropriately, apply Darwin’s theory for nature to society. He set out to show that “the law of nature was the law of progress” and that societies, like organisms, evolved over time in accordance with their environment. He explained that there is competition within each aspect of societal life, from governments (“monarch, ministers, lords and commons, with their subordinate administrative departments, courts of justice, revenue offices, etc.”) to the religious sector (“from archbishops down to sextons, its colleges, convocations, ecclesiastical courts, &c”) and finally society (“the community has become segregated into distinct classes and orders of workers”). This natural-drive to compete is the basis of social Darwinism, basically a social revolution, and the idea that “only the fittest will survive”.
Based on the theory’s acceptance by racists, it has been proven that Herbert Spencer had a definite influence. European racists used the theory to degrade minorities by making them seem like the weakest and therefore, required to die. Though this is untrue, it is a clear example of how social Darwinism influenced a skewed vision of future society to some at the time. Spencer’s theory can also assume partial responsibility for the Germanic desire to wipe- out non- Aryan races. The idea of wiping out started with Houston Stewart Chamberlain but history shows that the buck did not stop there and ended up in the hands of Adolf Hitler. In this way, Herbert Spencer was significantly influential in the course of history.
A truly significant figure will have his works remembered long after he himself has passed. This leads to the other reason why Spencer is the most influential thinker is because Social Darwinism has endured for more than a century and proven to be true, time and time again. “Survival of the fittest” has come to be the mantra of many situations whether in athletic tournaments or in a business environment. The one with the tougher skin and more driven outlook is likely to be the most successful. It is why so many strive to get into Ivy League schools, entrance is proof, to some, that one is the most educationally fit and as a result, should be rewarded with better job opportunities. Herbert Spencer is definitely the most influential thinker/philosopher to come out of the 19th century.
In my opinion the most influential thinker during this time period was Karl Marx. Not only did Marx revolutionize political and social views but he provided the lower class with the motivation and principles needed to assist them in standing up to the oppressive and greedy upper class of this time period. Marx’s communist manifesto, written with another philosopher named Engels, was a highly influential piece of writing that not only defined communism but set in motion a chain of events that would lead to much conflict in later years. In the communist manifesto, Marx encourages and spells out the likely turn of events that will lead to a proletariat revolution (lower class revolution) in which the lower classes will throw off the oppressive rule of the bourgeoisie (or upper class) to form a classless society. Marx’s classless society proved very appealing to those in lower class families with little room for improvement in their social status or wealth. The idea that all were equal among society was a large factor in why Marx’s ideas became extremely popular. He also believed that people should be motivated and love the work that they do, feeling that one’s work is a form of expression. This too appealed to the lower class factory workers whose monotonous jobs had long since become boring, dreary, and miserable. Marx also expressed the view of religion being a tool of the bourgeoisie used to keep the lower classes in line, referring to it as “the opiate of the masses.” Despite the large popularity Marx’s ideals acquired soon after being published it is the events that occurred due to his ideals long after they had been published that puts him above and beyond philosophers of his time. The communist revolutions occurred in several countries long after Marx’s manifesto had been published. Countries such as China, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and others all experienced communist revolutions some well into the twentieth century, long after the publication of the communist manifesto. Communist ideals also caused much conflict between those agreeing with Marx’s ideals and capitalists. Marx’s controversial views lead to events such as the red scare in the United States (when the U.S. did all possible to silence communist influence and ideals with its borders), the cold war, the Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam war, and other major events of the twentieth century. Even today countries may still feel the back lash of such events set in motion by Marx’s communist manifesto. Things such as labor unions and workers rights, new concepts at Marx’s time that are now commonplace today, would have never came into existence had not Marx encouraged workers to take a stand. It is therefore evident that Karl Marx is the most influential philosopher of his time.
1. When looking at the situation in Africa before and after European imperialism in the continent, there is no question that Europeans are highly responsible for the turmoil that exists in Europe today. They destroyed the precedent that had been set in Africa prior to imperialism. In Africa there were concrete governments and tribes. European powers destroyed this by overtaking these tribes area and their established rule. Much of Africa was lead by Europeans. So at the end of imperialism, African leadership was virtually non existent, which is a chief reason for conflict in the area, as several groups and figures battled and are still fighting to retain that power in Africa. Europeans destroyed government and leadership in African tribes and left a big void of organized leadership when they left, which led to turmoil. By destroying these tribal governments and pushing native Africans out of their original territories, they shifted groups of Africans that had different beliefs and systems together. This forced geographical movement caused rival African peoples to fight over land and power and led to countless examples of violence in Africa. Much of the blame for violent struggles in Africa today must be attributed to European imperialism.
2. The best pure thinker of the 19th century in my mind must be Charles Darwin. He’s thinking led to the most revolutionary ideas of that time period. His ideology was so impactful and far-reaching that it is still used in science today. Darwin of course challenged previous ideas of human creation by introducing the evidence that all species of life, in a process he called natural selection. His compilation of this evidence of this theory in his infamous book On the Origins of Species, gives an alternate, more scientifically backed theory of creation to the church’s theory that God is universally responsible for all species. Darwin’s thinking was completely new and ground-breaking for this time period. No one before him had challenged what was thought of as a sacred religious belief that God could be the only creator of life. His evidence was so compelling in his works that during his life that the theory of evolution was generally accepted by the scientific community as well as a good portion of the public. Without Darwin’s originally conception and work on the idea of evolution, it would have never have been expanded on by others and the basis of the modern evolutionary theory would never have been born. For his revolutionary thinking in the 19th century about creation and evolution, Darwin must be regarded as one of, if not the best thinker of this era.
3. One word to describe the facial hair: AWESOME
I believe that Karl Marx was the most influential philosopher of the 19th century. Although his ideas documented in the Communist Manifesto were never used in whole, segments of the communist ideal were extremely influential in the development of a range of ideals and practices from democratic socialism to the gubernatorial structure of the Soviet Union.
Democratic socialism grew strong ties to Marxist ideology in that it was based off of Marx’s ideas of equality of all people. Although far from the original “proletariat overthrow of the government,” democratic socialism still gave the lower class hope for an end to its oppression as the class system created by the competitive nature of capitalism would fall and the universal suffrage under equal conditions would finally give them a say in government.
Since most of the European population belonged to the oppressed working class, such a prospect of a new system was extremely inviting, and most new governments of the time were set up in a fashion that supported at least some of the ideals of democratic socialism. Pure democracy in the 19th and 20th centuries was in deep decline.
Lenin’s Soviet Union was also based off of Marx’s ideals; however, Lenin’s interpretations of Marx’s theories was at the other extreme as Lenin sought to completely obliterate capitalism and social class by any means necessary, setting up a dictatorship controlled by very few powerful overlords commanding an equal population (which happened to be extremely poor as the wealth of Russia was spend on gubernatorial and military needs, leaving the rest of the little money left to be divided among the masses). As time progressed, the Soviets’ message spread to other developing countries, causing them to turn to the ideals of Marxist communism, which, in turn, led to the influence race of the Cold War as American democracy clashed with Soviet communism.
No other philosopher in history had brought such turmoil and change as Karl Marx. His ideas were interpreted and implemented on a larger scale those of any other.
Africa was once untouched by Europe's ruling countries. But imperialism led a destructive path through the continent. Countries such as Germany, France, and Spain, driven by economic interests and just pure greed, took Africa into their hands.
Africa no longer belonged to its people. Cultures were divided and changed by foreigners. 'The White Man's Burden" had caused this to happen. Clashes between different people were seen. Tribes began to lose their connection. Slavery had also been irrevocably engrained into Africa. Today, slavery remains legal in certain areas. Africa was not ready for the injection of strange and new things. Africa was completely controlled by European governments. And with different governments, Africa was not united. This can be attested from today's Africa. It's difficult to maintain authorital control. And the meager governments that have been established will not last long.
Africa lost countless gold resources to the European's imperialist systems. The white Europeans existed because of the Africans' sufferings. Many African Americans are still sour over what had been inflicted on their ancestors. The Europeans' "Scramble for Africa" had left a scar in Africa's history.
In my opinion Sigmund Freud is one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. He is best known for his theories about the unconscious mind and defense mechanism. He basically revolutionized ideas on how the human mind actually works. His works has helped many mentally ill patients. His work also contributed to child caring, education, and sociology. He is one of the worlds’ most influential thinkers. He showed the importance of unconscious thinking, and contributed mostly in the field of psychology and the study of personality. Freud explains that the unconscious is the biggest part which includes which holds everything that is easily aware to available to awareness, including many other things such as trauma. According to Freud the unconscious is the source of our motivations even for the simplest desires. He is also famous for The ID the ego and the superego. A famous saying by Freud it “Life is not easy!” people have used this phrase a lot over the years without realizing who has actually said it. Freud also talks about anxiety and stress. So, I see him as the most influential philosopher of the 19th century and the one who contributes the most.
The political trouble in Africa today has been directly spawned from the European imperialism that had begun in the late 1800’s. The Europeans treated the conquest of Africa almost like a contest amongst their respective nations but with the possibility of great economic gain. The Europeans pretty much grabbed whatever land they could in their conquest of Africa and with their superior weaponry and resources it was a one sided battle most of the time. The death toll Other than the national pride of having a huge empire, the Europeans nations wanted the land for a few reasons which would hurt the native Africans later on in the set up of their government. The fact was the European empires started needing huge sections of land in which crops could be grown as much of the land that would have normally been for that was now looked at with the potential to put a factory or industrial complex on it. This meant that the land of the colonies could be used to make the raw materials while the European countries processed them and sold them around the world. This allowed for the stimulation of trade since ports would have to be opened and kept the economies in Europe going but it also meant that the Europeans could care less about the people on the land. They were willing to take out the native tribes just so they could have the land and it would be done by tricky diplomacy, which obviously left the native Africans at a disadvantage or by brutal force. The political climate in Africa that the Europeans created would end up wreaking havoc on its native people because the Europeans were the ones who controlled the governments. One problem that this created was grouping warring tribes together under the same colony which obviously sparked some conflict as the tribes learned that they were supposed to be living together as one group. This however has been overplayed as a reason while people seem to forget that most Europeans only got the land to keep the balance of powers organized in Europe. This becomes obvious when you see that the nations with the most holdings in Africa were also the most powerful nations in Europe at the time. The colonies in Africa were used as an extension of the European land wars that had been going on and so the governments set up there were only really to help the traders. The natives there were seen as uncivilized anyways and it was just part of the white man’s “burden” to create a civilized nation for them. This lead to governments focused completely around European needs and it was these governments that the African people were to inherent after WWII. In the aftermath of World War Two, many African nations decided to take a stand for themselves and throw off the European powers. This time around the Europeans had to deal with the extreme debt which existed due to the previous war and primarily didn’t put up as much of a fight. Now the Africans were in control of their own governments but with very little experience of having this sort of control. At this point it stops becoming the Europeans faults because many of the governments began fighting amongst themselves which was not a good thing. Still the Europeans had set up the Africans for the chaotic situation that even today exists.
Throughout the 19th century many great thinkers came about but the most influential of these thinkers was Karl Marx. Marx created the ideas behind what would soon become communism in his ideas of Marxism and in his many works like the Communist Manifesto. Throughout his life he planned out his ideas and with his ideas the concept of socialism rose into play as a powerful participant in the politics of the world. Not only that but his ideas functioned as not only a political viewpoint but worked as a philosophical and economic standpoint as well, one of the only forms of government to do that. His ideas and plans for the socialist form of government, begun by the Marxist ideals he created, allowed this form of government to continue on even into today. This is an accomplishment that must be respected because few other political views have ever gained this much power after being created so recently. Even the concepts of democracy and republics were created during or before Medieval times but Marx was able to create a concept that worked; at the very least worked well on paper, which survived into modern times. His leadership was also a major reason that socialism survived because it was only after his death that socialism really began to break up into factions that would begin to crumble and fall. Communism, the faction most well known by Americans today, works well on paper but has failed to create strong governments with the benefits planned by Marx but that is not because Marx’s ideas were wrong. These governments have failed or become horrible dictatorships because the people running the government have taken the power that was supposed to be for the working people. Either way there are still concepts of Marx used today in governments like the social welfare which is still used by European nations to support things like free health care for its workers. Even if his ideas did come apart due to factors out of his control Marx was able to do something many philosophers could not and that was creating a definitive change in society. Marx was able to get many poor urban workers to actually stand up for their rights as they were inspired by his ideas. Doing more than simply talking about his ideas Marx was able to create a plan to get his philosophy out into the world and functioning in society. That is what makes Marx one of the most influential thinkers and while some of the changes may have not been all positive, like not foreseeing the possibility of power grabbing by the government officials, he at the very least made a lasting change to the political climate of the world.
1 - To what degree are Europeans responsible for the troubles in modern Africa?
It is unfair to attribute all the troubles in modern Africa to European colonization. Difficulties would have arisen among the African factions regardless of European interference. That is not to say, however, that the European influence helped the African situation. The tensions started with slave trade but to relate this to what is being studied, the discussion will focus on the Imperial era.
The whole problem was that the European attitude, all the countries had imperialistic goals because expansion was an indication of wealth, power, success, etc. Europeans did not just stop at accumulating land, though, they completely overtook whatever African country they invaded. Take, for example, the British foray into South Africa. Upon entering the country, aside from attacking the Dutch Boers, the British also attacked the native African tribes (Zulu and Xhosa) and forced them to move away from their traditional homes. Along with being unfair, the relocation of indigenous people hastened the tribal fights. Anger over white- dominance and being in close- contact with enemy tribes was fuel for the tribal fires. This can be related to the present- day African issue of the war in Darfur where one, ethnic Sudanese group is massacring another.
The other problem with European imperialism is that no aspect benefitted the Africans, especially in the diamond and gold rushes. These were particularly cruel because, as Zola’s Germinal shows, blacks were used for difficult and dangerous jobs in mining which allowed the European’s to make even more profits that Africans would never see. Europeans came and took more and more African valuables without compensating them in anyway, making them look even poorer in comparison to the European nations. In 2009, Africa has yet to come out of the economic hole the Europeans put them in centuries ago. The diamonds and gold found in Africa could have been key in turning around the African fate.
Though it is unfair to fault Europeans completely for Africa’s modern troubles, it is fair to apportion them the majority of the blame.
second blog:
The European presence in Africa was largely responsible for the many modern conflicts within Africa today. Just as greed in general is the cause of most problems in the world, European greed was specifically a large cause of the conflicts within Africa that exist today. European exploitation and domination in most African industry, agriculture and natural resources left few experienced Africans and a difficult economic situation for newly independent African nations. Overall discrimination and the European attitude towards the native people of Africa also posed problems for nations gaining their independence. Europeans viewed themselves as above all Africans and other people across the globe, believing it was “the white man’s burden” to civilize and use these native civilizations and their land to further both their own agenda and “better” the lives of the natives living their by westernizing their culture. This arrogant view of themselves in relation to others lead to European dominance in all aspects of government and very few Africans in any positions of true power or influence. As a result of this, when African nations slowly began gaining their independence they had no leaders with the political experience to successfully establish strong nations. The slave trade that Europeans implemented through out Africa had a significantly detrimental affect on Africa at this point in time and would lead to future difficulty. The slave trade not only cruelly ripped apart families and entire villages but largely depleted the most important resource to any economy, a young and strong workforce. Without this all too essential work force, fields and their crops withered. The remaining workers, being either too young or too old to work efficiently, simply could not keep up. This caused food shortages, the starvation of many villages, and an economic slump in the area of agriculture, only worsening the situation for Africa. The divvying up of Africa among the European nations also caused many issues. These boarders were based on the manner which promoted the most expansion to the European countries in question. However these boarders rarely took into account the various tribes that they grouped together. These European boarders therefore often grouped enemy tribes in the same area causing much conflict and bitterness not only towards Europeans but amongst the African tribes oppressed by European control. Bitter conflicts that occur between African nations to this day can claim their origin from the boarders set up by Europeans with a blatant disregard for the people thrown together within them. It is therefore clear that the Europeans were largely responsible for the many conflicts that occur in Africa today.
In my opinion, Sigmund Freud was the most influential philosopher of the 19th century, as his ideas and discoveries were and have been studied and referred to from the 1800’s to the present. His greatest contribution was his study of dreams and the unconscious mind. His book, The Interpretation of Dreams, explained his ideas about the unconscious mind and proposed methods of accessing it. He argued that people repress traumatic memories, but are unaware they do so. Often, they can only access certain memories through dreams. Freud created three concepts of the unconscious mind, including the descriptive and dynamic. He also defined the system unconscious, but replaced this with his idea of ego, super-ego, and id. Although some of his conclusions proved to be incorrect, he was the first of his time to study psychology in such a systematic way, which distinguishes him from other philosophers of the time. Freud was the first to believe humans were motivated mostly by sexual desire. Another major contribution made by Freud that makes him appear to be so influential for his time was his creation of the practice of psychoanalysis. This was based off his belief that simply talking with his patient would release their emotions that had been contained in the unconscious mind. The creation of this practice as well as his ideas about the human mind, which are still used for the basis of psychology today, shows how extremely influential a philosopher Freud was for his time.
Undoubtedly, one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century is Freud. His ideas of psychoanalysis, id, ego, and the superego undoubtedly changed and characterized the sentiments of the 19th century. During a time of change and chaos, Freud’s idea that human behavior was based off of sure subconscious reflected and propelled the idea of psychoanalysis in reflecting human behavior.
His theories of human thought undermined optimism about the rational nature of the human mind. This directly contradicted with the Enlightenment ideas that reason could potentially govern all of human nature as well as the universe. Freud’s thought added to the uncertainties of the age and his theory of psychoanalysis greatly influenced the way people looked at human behavior. His reliance on dreams and unconsciousness as major propellants to the process of decision making and action contracted with the Enlightenment ideas that human behavior should stem from reason rather than the subconsciousness. He believed that dreams were critical in determining the unconsciousness and identifying the id in a person. Id refers to a person’s unconscious, lustful drives and desire. Ego is reason and the superego is the consciousness that balances out the id and the ego.
Freud’s theory of the pleasure principle states that people reject happiness in order to confirm to society. Thus, this completely revolutionized the idea of society. His ideas would greatly influence psychology, where the importance of memories and dreams would be able to trace and analyze the way a human behaves.
I believe that the source of Africa's turmoils was in fact European influences. The large variety of powers vying for their portion of Africa led to the division and partitioning among groups with similar culture. These groups, most of which were tribal, came to be separated among themselves, and often grouped together along with other tribes which were occasionally hostile towards one another. These groups were often split among themselves either through newly formed borders, different governing powers, or by the ever increasing slave trade. Warring tribes would soon begin vying for political power, and in doing so create more conflict. The separation of ethnic groups across national borders would eventually be eroded as new nations would rise up, formed by peoples of similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The simple fact of the matter is that European nations were trying to partition lands that they did not own or understand. The groups over which they were imposing these new borders were being separated by them, and it is plain to see that nations are formed with cultural similarities playing a major role in them. The blatant disregard for differences in ethnicity, culture, and religion by the Europeans, drove on the conflicts in Africa.
Europeans played a huge part in the troubles and instability of modern Africa. Since the scramble for Africa began, Africa and its people were headed toward a path of destruction. Since colonialism, Africa has been engulfed in violence, corruption, instability, and authoritarian governments. Most of the nations are “republics” but no democratic government has lasted long due to a cycle of coups which lead to military dictatorships. Europeans marginalized and combined different ethnic tribes in order to create borders, which lead to Africa’s current turmoil. If the people are already pinned against each other due to roots, having and military dictatorship ran by the uneducated, then a failing nation will ensue. For political gain, many leaders fanned ethnic conflicts that had been created by colonial rule. The Cold War also added to stress due to the fact that most African nations were gaining independence. As a new independent country, you would want to align with one of the two superpowers of the time period. Many countries in Northern Africa received Soviet military aid, while many in Central and Southern Africa were supported by the United States.
I believe that Sigmund Freud is one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. He is often ignored in the field of psychology due to the fact that most of his theories you cannot test and get the same results, but what he found has helped many generations. Freud was the father of psychoanalysis, but more importantly, believed that the subconscious really did control the mind because that is where all of our true feelings, thoughts, and desires lie. He believed in the 5 stages of life and if we don’t pass through one of them correctly, then we will forever be messed up for the remainder of our life. He also came up with defense mechanisms that we use unconsciously and consciously in order to repress the subconscious so we can live our lives. If the mind did not use defense mechanisms, then we would never be able to move on in life. He also created the ID, Ego, and Superego; which is the bad part of ourselves, the balancing part which keeps the ID or Superego from taking over, and the “little Ms. perfect” side of our mind. All of these contributions helped give people the sense that they weren’t as crazy as they truly were because the unconscious mind held all fears and desires, which can be reached through dream analysis. Freuds’ dream analysis gave relief to many, but set a precedent in the psychological world. He was the father of “ laying on the couch” and talk psychology, along with creating the standard office setup; thick, white walls, and dim lights which help calm the patients. If Freud didn’t disregard his critics with their comments about him being a pervert, then psychology never would have spawned into what it is today.
The Europeans are greatly responsible for the troubles in modern Africa. While Africa was originally divided into tribal territories before the arrival of the Europeans, the newly formed borders by the white settlers created violent conflicts between opposing tribes. This not only caused more tensions and chaos between enemy tribes, but also created African resentment of the European settlers. Tensions between the two groups were also increased with the European idea of the whites being superior to the African natives. Economically, the Europeans exploited African resources and labor, hardly leaving the Africans with anything to survive off of. Consuming the resources of the land made the Europeans wealthy at the expensive of the natives, and enslaving the Africans for a labor workforce broke families and villages apart. African countries that became free from European domination were then left with even more issues. With newly formed governments, the African countries were left with no experienced leaders and no efficient systems of government. Their resources had dwindled, especially the majority of their workforce who had been enslaved by the Europeans. This resulted in economic downturn throughout Africa, such as food shortages and other agricultural issues due to insufficient labor and resources. As Africa has never fully recovered from the European imperialism and destruction of its nations, many of its issues still remain today. Clearly, the Europeans had a significantly large role in the troubles of Africa in the past and present.
I feel that the Europeans hold a majority of the responsibility for the troubles in modern Africa. The Europeans made decisions without thinking of the repercussions that would face the Africans. The colonization of Africa by the Europeans led to conflict within African tribes. The Europeans would draw borders that often split up tribes which had been together for years, thus leading to internal conflict. Not only would these borders split up tribes, but they would also put opposing tribes within the same region. Borders would also distort the boundaries of separate religions, causing more and more internal violence. The European countries that were putting claim on the various African regions thought of only the advancement of power for their own countries. Through the Europeans selfishness, any form of an African government was destroyed and never successfully restored. The Europeans controlled every aspect of African colonies, stripping Africa from its independence and stability, only to improve their own economy. When the Europeans decided to leave, the African colonies plummeted even further. Without any stable government or leadership restored, the African government had no way of becoming successful on their own. This resulted in terrible chaos and utter turmoil. Africa was left to its own devices, but without any sense of unity or nationalism there was no way for a secure government to rise without conflict. This state of chaos was what the African’s were forced to live through due to the Europeans need for colonization. Had they not become involved in the first case, or at least finished what they had started, modern Africa would be a more productive, united, and successful nation than it is.
I believe that Europeans are to a great extent responsible for the problems faced by modern Africa. While tribal warfare did certainly exist in these lands far before they were confronted by European involvement, various things that the Europeans did contributed greatly to the poverty and corruption of Africa. European nations and companies looted Africa of its great mineral riches and virtually enslaved its people only a few decades after outlawing “true” slavery. By forcing these people to work in mines or farm for cash crops and buy food out of meager salaries the Europeans forced the Africans into a new serfdom that bound families to their small farms or shantytowns outside mining centers.
Additionally, European claims of land cause massive problems due to the senseless borders with regard to ancient tribal divisions. The nations of Africa we see today are often following similar boundaries to those of colonies that were chosen without one second’s thought given to the people who lived there. Tribal groupings were split up and former enemies were forced to rely on each other for assistance against the European aggressors. The tribal issues can be seen in recent events like the Rwandan Genocide where years of animosity build up due to Europeans favoring one tribe due to skin color and putting them in power and then leaving them defenseless against the underprivileged majority once they were powerful enough to strike back.
Also, Europeans introduced an expectation among the people they ruled that corruption was the norm and there was not a strict rule of law. This attitude has continued to the present, inhibiting welfare and foreign aid as leaders, once in power, abuse their position to steal money and procure positions for friends and family.
Check back for net weeks response. DON"T FALL BEHIND!
To answer the question, “to what degree are European’s responsible for the modern trouble in Africa”, it is clear that they can be held totally and completely responsible. They colonized by means of fear and injustice, and it is only fitting that those revolutionaries who possess the throne in those nations now are leading by the example set for them. All of the civil wars that are taking place between tribes in modern Africa are those tribes that were forcibly put linked together during European colonization. If those tribes had been warring over land before the ensuing European takeover, they would undoubtedly war over that land as soon as there was no longer a European “barrier”. These competing tribes were forcibly oppressed by the Europeans, and all would have been well if colonizers did not subject their citizens to harsh rule.
In the case of South Africa, it was colonizer-extraordinaire Cecil Rhodes who implemented the race segregation that was so prominent there until their modern civil rights movement. He instituted the bans on black rights while he was head of his colony “Rhodesia”, and obviously those institutions would not go away kindly. It was because of the civil rights violations put forth by Rhodes that blacks were forced to up rise for their rights. The same can be said for the former-Belgian colony of Zimbabwe, which also received its equal rights with the gaining of their independence.
So yes, colonizers can be held guilty for the modern violence that is prominent today in Africa. To be completely honest, who would not want to fight back if you were being ruled by some white man with ever-growing lamb chops? Did colonizers really expect to be taken seriously with the ridiculous facial nightmare happening on their cheeks? Maybe they could have avoided violence by getting a reasonable shave…but probably not.
(1) Europeans are almost entirely responsible for the problems in modern Africa. They intruded on the Africans’ land and tore apart their way of life. They completely ignored the existing order and function of African society; they forced tribes together that were enemies or didn’t even share a common language. Not only did the Europeans subject the Africans to harsh rule (as most efforts throughout history have done), but they also created problems for the Africans that they would not have to face otherwise. This complete disregard for existing societal structure, and the infliction of their own assumedly superior western ideas, caused many of the conflicts present in Africa today.
Perhaps the most blatantly cruel interference by the Europeans was the racial segregation implemented by Cecil Rhodes in South Africa. He suppressed black rights and named a colony for himself (Rhodesia). Before this, there was undoubtedly strained relations in South Africa, but the Europeans took hold of this racial tension and used it to impose new laws that would divide the country and breed more hostility. Although it is true that serious conflicts would have risen in Africa without the European colonial presence, much of the violence and issues in modern Africa can be attributed to the imperialism during this period.
(2) I think that Freud is almost indisputably the most influential thinker of the 19th century. His ideas revolutionized modern psychology and affected the way many people think about human nature and behavior. In a time of complete disorder and destruction, Freud offered rational theories on the workings of the human brain. I believe Freud’s ideas reached and spoke to so many people, because unlike philosophers of the 19th century, his ideas were considered more scientific and dependable.
Freud believed that all human behavior was directly based off of the person’s subconscious. This theory of psychoanalysis was not simple linear thought, but rather science bordering on philosophy; it added to the chaos of the era. His complete use of dreams and the subconscious (the irrational parts of our minds) contradicted the earlier reason-based thought of the Enlightenment.
He believed the mind repressed thoughts which case guilt or pain from the conscious part of the brain. He also believed sexual desires are behind all dreams and completely fuel human energy. If nothing else, Freud brought a fresh perspective and an always interesting take on how (and why) we perceive ourselves and those around us. He was a true pioneer in the field of psychology and allowed people to apply his principles and put them to use in their own lives.
First Blog (late):
European imperialism is very much responsible for the problems facing Africa today such as tribal warfare, a failing economy and widespread diseases.
European imperialism essentially destroyed Africa’s economy. European traders came to Africa to spread their empires and find riches. They took African land from the native inhabitants and replaced their old social class and leaders and replaced them with their own systems. They divided up African land and completely disregarded old tribal hatreds and war because of their own greed. This is why there is so much tribal warfare and imbalance in Africa today. European leaders of this time ignored African culture and this led up to horrible things such as civil unrest in places in sub-Saharan Africa and genocide in Darfur.
Likewise, the Europeans not only took African land and ignored their culture. They also took and continue to take all the valuable resources of the African economy. Precious metals such as gold and silver and beautiful stones such as diamonds are most abundant in Africa. However, the DeBeers, a European family, owns over 95% of the world diamond supply. The only thing the European refineries pay for is just rental of the land for a small fee. The African people do not benefit from even the resources under their own feet.
With a nonexistent economy and civil unrest, it is no surprise that Africa is a Petri dish for pandemics. Diseases such as malaria, AIDS, and TB are extremely widespread in Africa. One may argue that the European imperialists did not invent or introduce these diseases to the Africans and thus it is not their fault. But one must look truly at WHY Africans cannot afford healthcare. And this is because they don’t have an economy in which people can develop skills in a job for, and are forced to wonder everyday if they’re going to be able to feed themselves tomorrow or if tribal violence, both problems which stems out of European imperialism, will wipe out their entire village. Africans don’t have the time or education to practice safe healthy habits and cannot afford prevention measures or cures of diseases.
Europeans, in my opinion, are largely responsible for the troubles in Africa today. Imperialism had divided Africa between many European powers. As these European nations felt the need to expand throughout Africa, they brought with them the mindset of taking the most beneficial resources, no matter what the consequence. For example, diamond mining was popular with the European nations throughout Africa. As the Europeans slowly began to leave Africa, the natives began to almost mimic the Europeans by taking control of the mines and ruling them with iron fists. These Africans have followed directly in the footsteps of the Europeans, making the Europeans responsible for the turmoil. Young governments also cannot support themselves, causing the African nations to erupt in chaos. Europeans could be blamed for this as well, because the oppressed Africans could not possibly know how to successfully run a country without sufficient education and experience. The effects of imperialism can be held responsible for the deteriorating condition that Africa is in and the struggles that take place there.
There is no doubt in my mind that the most influential philosopher of the 19th century is Karl Marx. Karl Marx (1818-1883) wrote down the most controversial and revolutionary critique of European capitalistic society in the 19th century, sparking an entire century of revolutions and tensions between nations.
Marx’s thesis essentially says that social revolution is inevitably going to happen in an industrialized nation and that class struggle has been the true history of man. Furthermore, Marx deliberately expresses his hatred of the system of capitalism in his time when he feels that people who don’t own the means of production, the proletariat, must work for people who do own the means of production, the capitalist, for the sole purpose of survival.; Marx wanted the overthrowing of capitalism and an establishment of a classless society after the so called revolution.
Likewise, this caused endless amounts of controversy, debate, and conflict even till today. One of the most clearly seen effects of Marx’s work is on Vladmir Lenin and the creation of the USSR. Marx writings effected Lenin extremely deeply and likewise, evolved in Lenin’s mind to create his own perception of what Marx was talking about. Leninism follows Marxist theories almost identically except on the fact that Russia was mostly an agrarian non industrialized nation, and the creation of the USSR envisioned Marx ideals and created a classless society (a very poor one). And everyone well knows that soviet union without a doubt changed the perception of what a society should be, and created two opposing schools of thoughts: Adam Smith’s classical capitalism and Marx’s socialist classless society.
Marx’s ideology in its evolved forms governed many different types of people and continue to govern others today. This is seen from Mao’s China to Stalinist Russia to modern day Cuba and likewise there is still debate and controversy about Marxist ideology.
I believe that the Europeans are very much responsible for the current problems in Africa. Just as the United States abandoned Afghanistan after the Russian invasion, leaving them to fall to the rule of the Taliban, Africa was left in a state of chaos without educated rulers or a strong system of government. In order for Africa to be successful in their new systems in government, it was necessary for the Europeans to slowly give more and more power to the African leaders themselves so they could learn what to do, rather than pick up and leave without giving them this time to adjust. In many cases, the Europeans did not dictate a leader of the nation, so a power struggle was likely to emerge as many people would desire these governmental positions.
The issues in Africa did not just begin after the Europeans left. Several European nations used the African natives to gain territory as they created rivalries between tribes so wars would begin. When the Europeans were residing in Africa, they paid little attention to the current territorial boundaries set by the native tribes and changed them at their own free will. This separation forced allied tribes living in the same territory to be split up, as well as enemies to be forced to live together. This probably made the natives about as happy as if the Americans and Soviets were forced to live together during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The unity within a colony was therefore no longer present, which can likely explain many wars that are occurring in modern times. The Europeans also exploited Africa’s natural resources, today leaving them with far less than they could have.
The Europeans, who colonized Africa when it was still a series of developing nations, set a bad example for the natives, which has stuck for several years and likely will for many years to come. One can not expect a child who grows up with abusive parents to succeed greatly in life, as one can not expect Africa to quickly recover from its long period of mistreatment.
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