Ireland in Western Civilization

Transcription

1 Instructor: J N Ian Dickson, Ph.D. Ireland in Western Civilization CCCU Northern Ireland Semester, Spring 2018 Course description: This course explores the history of Ireland as a window into the general historical development of Western Europe. Far from being on the fringe of Western culture, Ireland has always been very much involved in the intellectual, spiritual, political, economic and artistic life of the West. Special emphasis will be given to the ways in which Ireland influenced the development of European culture, or was representative of the challenges it faced. Particular attention will be given to the Ireland s role in the formation of medieval Europe, the Protestant Reformation and religious wars, colonialism, the Industrial Revolution, and Ireland s role in World War I and II. The course concludes with a study of modern Ireland as a significant arena for political conflict as well as global capitalism. Course texts: T. W. Moody and F. X. Martin. The Course of Irish History, 4 th edition. Cork: RTÉ, Primary documents and articles regarding Western Civilization that highlight Ireland s connection with the meetings main themes will be assigned for each. These will be available on BlackBoard. Before the semester begins: Text preparatory reading: Ch.1 A Geographer s View of Irish History, Ch.2 Prehistoric Ireland Week 1. Classical civilization The classical world was fundamental to the development of the Western worldview, and would continue to provide a reference point long after it faded. European culture as it emerged in the fifth and sixth centuries would be a hybrid of classical, Christian, and barbarian influences. Though off the fringe of the farthest frontiers of the classical world, areas such as Ireland, Wales and Scotland, along with Scandinavia, would eventually adopt and perpetuate many intellectual elements of the classical world. Humans as central, rational humanism Nature of government and democracy, political ideology, pitfalls of freedom Law, administration, order Rome as model for empire, constant emotional reference point in the West Rome in the British Isles, successful resistance from Celts/Picts, Roman cultural remnants First implantation of classical learning in the Isles (e.g. Latin, philosophy, literature) Text reading: Ch.3 Early Irish Society Week 2. Early Christianity/church growth Over the fourth and fifth centuries, Christianity moved from fringe cult to influential religion to official religion of empire. It would outlast Rome as an entity, and would be vital in connecting medieval Europe to its classical past, as well as provide the cultural glue that would bind Europe (conceptualized as Christendom) together until the Reformation. Though the Roman model of Christianity eventually proved dominant, it was never the only option, with staunch competition coming from the Celtic tradition in Ireland, among others, which resisted Romanization. Cultural influence of Christianity Growth of Roman model/roman church hegemony 1

2 Rise and consolidation of papal power and influence, temporal as well as spiritual Secular vs. spiritual power Irish monasticism, Patrick Differences between Roman/Celtic traditions (e.g. language, calendar) Rationale behind Roman supremacy (e.g. vicar of Christ, correctio) Text reading: Ch.4 The Beginnings of Christianity Week 3. Late Antiquity Rather than a hard break between the classical and medieval worlds, there was a transition to Europe, especially culturally. Many social, religious, administrative, and legal elements of the Roman world carried on and were incorporated into the Middle Ages. Additionally, Europe s focus shifted north and west from the Mediterranean, both physically and in the abstract the Mediterranean was no longer center, but frontier. As new peoples and areas were incorporated into emerging Europe (e.g. Scandinavia, the Baltic region, northern France and Germany) and gained importance politically and economically, there was a need to aculturate them, a principal means of which was evangelization. Irish monks were some of the most influential missionaries in these areas. Cultural transition, nature of Europe Christianity as cultural agent, as classical/roman religion Administrative mechanism, elites Classical influence on incoming tribes, tribal influence on Roman populations Ireland as bastion of learning/culture, preservation of classical/early Christian intellectualism Missionary activity, reintroduction of classical/early Church learning Irish involvement in emerging North Sea/Baltic economy Text reading: Ch.5 The Golden Age of Early Christian Ireland, Ch.6 The Age of the Viking Week 4. Medieval and Renaissance Europe Throughout the high and late Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, Europe emerged as a mature entity culturally, politically, and economically. Medieval Europe would set the stage for the early modern world and provide the foundations on which it was built. Ireland was very much part of this process, if for no other reason than because it was brought into the greater Norman orbit, and its fate would be tied to that of England thereafter, for good or ill. European attitudes, values Economic shifts, changes in production, increased trade, urban growth Greater contacts between eastern/western Eurasia, Silk Road Beginnings of political centralization, precursors of modern European states Shifting political ideas, relationship between Roman church and secular rulers Text reading: Ch.7 Ireland in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, Ch.8 The Normans, Ch.9 The Medieval English Colony Week 5. Religious/political upheaval The late-fifteenth through late-seventeenth centuries were a period of upheaval during which Medieval religious and political realities were turned on their heads and Europe was pushed toward modernity. Ireland s relationship with England, especially as it existed from the mid-/late-sixtenth century, meant that it was unavoidably involved in the convulsions of the time, and served as a stage on which tensions played out that represented the strains of the period. Reformation Individual spirituality, religious individualism, individuals relationship with the church Church/papal power 2

3 Political readjustments, questioning of church/papal involvement in politics Religious wars Irish reaction to Church of England split, loyalty to Rome Changing political theories, nature of royal legitimacy English Civil War, political attitudes toward Ireland Text reading: Ch.10 The Gaelic Resurgence, Ch.11 The Tudor Conquest, Ch.12 The Colonisation of Ulster, Ch.13 The Restoration and the Jacobite War Week 6. Global expansion/european imperialism The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were vital as those during which Europe spread its influence around the globe, leading to the eventual supremacy of Westerners throughout politically, economically, culturally. This was the true beginning of globalization. Great Divergence European exceptionalism European hegemony, colonization Changing world economy Week 7. Enlightenment The late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw radical redefinitions of Westen assumptions, and a general questioning of traditional norms in pretty much every area, which led to changes in political and economic ideologies. Irish intellectuals were heavily involved with the process of defining progressive, modern ideas. Scientific revolution; empiricism Liberalism Ideological foundations for government/economy Political/economic individualism Fundamental shifts in political/economic ideologies; democracy, capitalism Beginnings of modern political/economic environment Reactions; Romanticism Text reading: Ch.14 The Age of the Penal Laws, Ch.15 The Protestant Nation Week 8. Nineteenth century The West was affected dramatically by the industrial revolution and the urban changes it propelled. Many of the problems of the modern world can be connected to industrialization directly or indirectly. Ireland, especially the northern counties, was part and parcel of English industrialization. Lack of progress in other areas of the country helped propel mass migrations to places such as the United States. Industrialization, urbanization Socialist/Marxist reactions Liberal revolutions, conservative resistance Reform movements, standards of living, working conditions, worker disaffection Migration, effects of industrialization outside cities, agricultural setbacks Demographic shifts related to emigration Text reading: Ch.16 The Age of Daniel O Connell, Ch.17 The Great Famine Week 9. Later Western imperialism From the mid-eighteenth century, a changing global political climate, as well as the rapid industrialization of much of the Western world, helped drive a second wave of Western imperialism 3

4 into such areas as Africa, India and Asia. Though Ireland was brought under English control some twohundred years before, England s attitude toward it had changed little, if any, and it amounted to an internal colony in the British Empire. This encouraged the Irish nationalist movement, which was representative of the general wave of nationalism and liberalism that was bathing Europe. Colonization of Africa, influence in Asia Need for natural resources/raw materials United States emerging as global player Strategic imperatives of empire Missionary activity (economic and political as well as religious), spreading the benefits of Western civilization Western exceptionalism Irish independence, early IRA Rift between Republican and Loyalist Irish Text reading: Ch.18 Fenianism, Home Rule and the Land War, Ch.19 From Parnell to Pearse Week 10. World Wars The World Wars can be seen as bookends of a greater conflict in which many fundamentals of Western civilization were being called into question. There was a sense that liberal society had gotten it wrong in any number of ways, and radical change was needed. The Irish independence movement achieved its goals against the backdrop of the anti-imperial rhetoric that had been espoused by the Allies during World War I, and which gave force and credibility to Irish nationalism. Also, both north and south (albeit indirectly) were involved in World War II. Communism, Fascism Lost Generation Nationalism, self-determination, anti-imperialism Affinity between Republic and Axis Northern Ireland as Allied production zone, location for air/naval bases Text reading: Ch.20 Northern Ireland, Ch.21 The Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland Week 11. New world order The political order had changed dramatically after World War II, manifest principally by the rise of the United States and Soviet Union as global superpowers at the expense of the traditional European powers. Global political and economic patterns established over the previous two-hundred years were called into question, and competition between two economic ideologies (capitalism and communism) would influence the world for the last half of the twentieth century. Cold War Decolonization Problems with exporting democracy/capitalism, contests with Marxism US/USSR each jockeying for worldwide influence at the expense of the other Text reading: Ch.22 Ireland: Week 12. Globalization From the middle of the twentieth century, globalization sped up dramatically, especially with the communication and transportation revolutions that took place. Ireland benefitted tremendously from the changing economic climate. Unprecedented global connectedness Growth of global corporations, increasing irrelevance of location for such things as corporate headquarters, corporate relocations 4

5 Celtic tiger Text reading: Ch.23 Ireland: Week 13. Terrorism Though it has been around in one guise or another for quite some time (e.g. anarchism in the latenineteenth and early-twentieth centuries), terrorism mushroomed as a global phenomenon during the twentieth century. No part of the globe has escaped it. Ireland is one of the main areas for political/nationalist terrorism, excacerbated by a religious component. Nature of terrorism, nationalist/political, ideological, religious IRA The Troubles Remaining tensions Text reading: Ch.24 Ireland at the Turn of the Century 5