Comparing and Contrasting Medieval and Modern Society
Comparing and Contrasting Medieval and Modern Society
The difference between today’s Western world and the Middle Ages is immeasurable. The workings of society and the ways of thinking are directly in contrast to one another, ranging from the role of religion, to the advancement of technology and art. It makes one wonder what a person from Medieval times would think if they could see how far the world has progressed and how different things are now.
Religion was what the medieval life was based on and things were done for the purpose of fulfilling time on Earth to get passage into the afterlife. Today, religion plays a different role, one that is not as important. For most, it is optional to attend church and worship a god, and is only part of one’s life, instead of the main focus. People are not governed by their religious conviction and may chose which faith they want to pursue. This most definitely would come as a shock to the medieval person, as religion was the principle of their life and they lived to satisfy the teachings of God.
The political structure that exists today would be something very strange in The Middle Ages, a system completely unimaginable. The first point of amazement would be the separation from the church. The government leader and his party rules over a country instead of a religious head such as the Pope. The church today, has no say in how a secular, western country is run, and is viewed as a completely independent faculty from the government. People are used to democratic rule, where they have the right to vote and chose a leader for their country. This individual freedom and responsibility for one’s self would be very hard for the medieval mind to comprehend. These people were not used to thinking for themselves, always being told what to do and how to live by their lords or masters. If given these new rights and freedoms, they would not know what to do with them or how to behave.
Today’s world is moving at an extremely fast pace when it comes to the advancements made in science and technology. New innovations and products are constantly being created, replacing many old ways and correcting past beliefs. Current society is used to this unceasing change and mostly accepts...