Development of the modern forms economic, political and social structures of the Europe

The Development of Contemporary Structures in Europe

The development of the contemporary economic, political, and social structures in Europe was sparked by numerous events and revolutions. The industrial revolution, the French revolution, the scientific revolution, and the enlightenment are some of the events that altered social, political, and economic structures. Autocracies and theocracies have historically ruled Europe, which presented a challenge to researchers and developers with cutting-edge tools that encouraged change in trade and other commercial activities.

The Impact of the Scientific Revolution

The contemporary political, social, and economic systems in Europe owe a lot to the scientific revolution. These include the scientific researchers who built the substantial edifice of modern understanding of science, including Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and Francis Bacon, among others. The traditional technological knowledge and advances were based on the trial-and-error which resulted in stagnation and slow rates of growth (Prak & Zanden, 2013). Through the royal courts employing these mathematicians, Europe was able to establish institutional settings of learning and universities. These methodological innovations led to the establishment of successful research institutions like the Royal Society of London where university-trained health providers emerged.

The Impact of the Scientific Revolution on Health and Technology

These professionals were able to make a good living from their professions and ever since these scientific revolutions have enabled the health sectors in Europe to implement advanced technological approaches in the treatment of lethal chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and kidney diseases which have substantially impacted the management of the health sector. Economically, the scientific revolution led to the advancement of technology with more experimentation of events being used in practical applications. For instance, the development of the printing press largely contributed to the modern economic structure of Europe. With regards to politics, this revolution has led to the application of science by the enlightenment thinkers through rational reasoning about politics and society (Mokyr, 2005). In Europe, the revolution diverted the idea of monarchy form of government by introducing a democratic form of government where people govern themselves.

The Relationship between the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

There is a significant relationship between the scientific revolution and enlightenment which was ignited by the philosophers such as Newton and Bacon. According to Mokyr (2005), European Enlightenment was involved multifaceted approaches to human rights, freedom, natural law, and justice, as well as political and religious tolerance. The philosophers proposed for the reasoning and beliefs that promoted desirable human progress which transformed the societies’ way of thinking from biblical tenets to the real-life experiences. These efforts gained momentum mostly in Western Europe where the scientific revolution, the 1789 French Revolution, as well as industrial revolution, started. Europe started to undergo a rapid growth of urban centers which attracted a large population to the developing cities such as London, Edinburgh, and Paris. This development enabled the broad community to generate a lot of wealth as well as congregating academic thinkers in idea sharing.

The Ideas of the Enlightenment

Enlightenment had an overarching idea of making social reforms where commerce and trade were introduced in agriculture. Europe had over past years experienced wars and famine and enlightenment of scientific and industrial revolutions transformed it into a wealthy society. The enlightenment was also characterized by optimistic ideas of changing the social and political reasoning of European people through the abandonment of theology (Tausch, & Herrmann, 2006). Philosophers argued that it is the people who influence nature and they should be governed by natural laws rather than ancient commandments written in history books.

The French Revolution and Its Impact on European Development

The French Revolution and the consequent effects is an event that defines developments of Europe from the 19th century. This inception impacted the advanced trends of Europe political, social and economic structures. This revolution brought a variety of changes such as political liberalization and industrial revolution especially in France, Western Britain, and the lower countries while the rest of the parts gradually changed in different ways. The various development patterns brought the transformation of European economy through the industrial revolution and the fast-growing population. The industrial revolution spurred the development of new food crops, and this provided a chance for artisanal and peasant children to have new avenues of paid labor.

The Industrial Revolution and Social Transformation

The commercialization of agricultural products increased opportunities for peasant farmers to have increased landholdings. They were able to produce their farm products that the sold to the growing urban population. On the other hand, the urban merchant’s trained rural producers in making threads, nails, clothes, and tools. These innovative practices later enhanced the production of craft products that attracted foreign markets (Groenewegen, 2001). These improvements changed the European social structure, and by the end of 18th century, consumerism had dominated in Europe. Rural residents started purchasing commercially produced products, and the urban families began trading in educational toys and books. The industrial revolution further invented steam engines which used coal and led to the production of iron products which raised the production capacities in the economy.

The Impact of Technological Advancements in the Industrial Revolution

The technological changes heightened demands for transporting the finished and raw materials and steam engines were introduced. These led to the development of infrastructures such as rails and roads systems. New forms of labor and businesses emerged as industries employed more workers, and this led to increased productivity. The social life in rural areas changed dramatically as their technological tools were introduced in the agricultural sector. Residents started using farming machines such as tractors, scythes, and harvesters which led to substantial increase in production.

The Invention of Electricity and its Effects

According to Mokyr (2005), the industrial revolution in Europe later led to the exploration of electricity where advances like Leyden jar invented in the 17th century gave insights in the transmission of power to vast distances. These aggressions were considered to be imaginations until breakthroughs were made by great men like Faraday, Oersted, and Ampere in the early 19th century. The invention of electricity also necessitated easier communication as the electric telegraph was also invented in 1937 by Cooke and Wheatstone. There was a successful installation of electrical cable across the Atlantic which promoted secure delivery of information.

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society

Although the industrial revolution raised the living standards of many people, the majority of the beneficiaries were middle and upper classes. Those from poor working classes were subjected to child labor and slavery. The unskilled laborers were exposed to poor working conditions and lack of job securities. Children, on the other hand, worked for long hours with many of them working under risky and unsafe conditions. These concerns led to the formation of reform movements which resisted the inequalities and discrimination of the poor people who were considered as inferior (Mason, 2011). The protests identified severe economic threats which needed urgent interventions. In the late 19th century, the conditions of the working class began to improve as the government introduced labor reforms. Ever since these improvements have ensured that the rights of workers are protected by the labor unions which are recognized by the European authorities as mediators between organizations and the workers.

References

Groenewegen, P. (2001). Eighteenth-Century Economics. New York: N.Y. Routledge

Mason, S., D. (2011). A Concise History of Modern Europe: Liberty, Equality, Solidarity. Plymouth: U.K. Rowman & Littlefield.

Mokyr, J. (2005). The intellectual origins of modern economic growth. The Journal of Economic History, 65(2), 285-35.

Prak, M., & Zanden, J. (2013). Technology, Skills and the Pre-Modern Economy in the East and the West. Boston: BST. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Tausch, A., & Herrmann, P. (2006). The West, Europe, and the Muslim World. New York: N.Y. Nova Publishers, Inc.