Background of Paradigm Changes in Western Civilization

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Paradigm Change
Background on paradigm change
A paradigm change is a fundamental shift in underlying beliefs, concepts, practices, strategies and perceptions in a society. Individuals, communities, countries, and nations have all gone through radical changes that have been transformed as a result of paradigm changes. People have to adapt to such changes and shift their way of thinking and at times, one can observe a massive transformation that the new system appears radically different than ever before. Paradigm changes bring uncertainty, as people are unsure how to adjust to the new knowledge and transformation. With the adoption of technology and industrial process, paradigm changes have become more common, sometimes causing the elimination of older systems to fit in with the new modifications and alterations of paradigm changes.
Paradigm changes in Western Civilization
Western civilization has gone through various paradigm changes, and in the 18th-century spontaneous trade changed the way people conducted commerce, which led to the growth and development of western societies. Growing disenchantment with the imperial governments and mercantilism preceded accelerated paradigm changes through spontaneous trade. For instance, the American Revolution and political changes in France and continental Europe grew more rapidly with the people disenchanted with the government’s hold on wealth. Additionally, with the development of new technology such as the spinning jenny and high-efficiency steam engines, meant that wealth creation devolved to the people as there were more opportunities for wealth creation. Hence, energy-based manufacturing made it easier to move wealth creation away from state control.
Another paradigm change in the western civilization is the introduction of Christianity, and this influenced the thoughts. Christianity changed social control unlike before, where the Greeks and Romans did not follow codes binding the behavior of the people (Thomas 241). The Catholic Church in Rome grew with the Papal Popes wielding since middle Ages. After the people embraced Christianity, people embraced civilization. Even though, modern western societies are largely secular, exposing Christianity as an influence on the political structure. Additionally, Christianity has been associated with enlightening, when philosophers were inspired by religion to advocate for individual rights and freedoms. In England, religious people also spread knowledge.
Protestant Reformation also had a profound impact on Western civilization, as the leaders critiqued the ecclesiastical institutions while calling for freedom of religion. These views supported the idea that there was plurality of moral convictions that was not to be dictated by the Catholic Church. This not only supports the philosophies that emerged before Enlightenment but also highlights that the sacred foundation of society needs to focus on moral values and respect individual rights (Thomas 245). Even though, Christianity still played an important role in the public and private life of westerners, their society was realigned with emphasis on authoritarianism. Additionally, secular ideas took root with the separation of Church a...