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What defines Western civilisation?
#24
(04-25-2021, 06:05 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: So it's basically Christian countries (which rules out Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Israel, and Lebanon) not in Africa (which rules out South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and arguably Cabo Verde).

I think South Africa should be in the pale blue category. It's about as Western as Guatemala or Peru, with a small but significant white population whose culture strongly influences the majority. Otherwise, African Christianity is often a syncretic religion with no Western traits. I've seen a video about a guy in Congo/Zaire who pretends to be a pastor, but sells "magical juice curing all diseases". His followers are willing to pay a lot to buy it. I cannot imagine such a person flourishing in a Western nation.

Quote:I would definitely consider the Philippines western, if in the pale blue category (as I see most of Latin America). Guyana and Suriname must have too many Hindus and Muslims... whatever.

I agree. Haiti's culture also looks like Africa rather than America.

Quote:I would strike Hawaii and Greenland, and largely-Inuit areas of Alaska and Canada.  

Pale blue.

Quote:Turkey has a huge role in western history.

It was Western until the fall of Constantinople. Ataturk re-introduced some Western thinking, but nowadays Japan is way more Western than Turkey.

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The Emperor Constantine can be considered the "founding father" of Western Civilization, for his decision marks the "marriage" between Greeko-Roman antiquity with its philosophical tradition which became Western rationalism and Christianity which is the source of ideas about human dignity resulting in Western individualism.

Puritanism and later Evangelicalism can be viewed as an attempt to restore Christianity to its Hebrew roots.
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RE: What defines Western civilisation? - by Captain Genet - 06-09-2021, 03:55 AM

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