Western culture refers to Europe; Eastern culture refers to East Asia and South Asia, especially China, Japan, and India.
Characteristics of Historical Western Culture
There are many different Western cultural characteristics; some include individuality, scientific rationalism, capitalism, and the rule of law. However, as stated previously, Western civilization began in ancient Greece, but the Greeks did not develop in isolation. Older cultures strongly influenced them in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant. Among the things invented in ancient Greece were:
- Philosophy
- Democracy
- History writing
- Drama
- Greek alphabet
The last of these inventions had a profound impact on Western culture; the Greeks were the first people to develop an alphabetical writing system that used vowels. The Latin alphabet, which is used to write English and most other European languages, was derived from the Greek alphabet. The Greek alphabet is still used today in Greece and Cyprus, but it is also used for scientific and mathematical notation. Additionally, Ancient Greek culture had such an enormous impact on all generations of Westerners that their art and architecture are still emulated today. For instance, the use of marble columns, common in much of the West, is just one example.
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Values of Modern Western Society
What are Western cultural values? Below is a list of a few of the most significant Western cultural values and concepts:
- Personal freedom: The concept of personal freedom is often associated with the West. Specifically, it is associated with a period known as the Enlightenment in Western history.
- The Enlightenment more or less corresponded to the 18th century. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, and David Hume emphasized the importance of the individual, maintaining that the government's power should be derived from the consent of all people who lived in the society.
- Advocates of Western culture advocate Western individualism over Eastern collectivism.
- Christianity: Christianity is the traditional religion of most Europeans and often spreads this religion to many other parts of the world.
- The Protestant Reformation, a significant reform movement within Christianity, was also a Western phenomenon.
- Secularism: Although religion has played an enormous role in Western society, secularism is usually a key element in modern Western culture. Beginning in the Enlightenment, intellectuals began challenging religious authorities and religion itself.
- The concept of the separation of church and state developed, and over the next two hundred years, almost all Western societies placed a firm barrier between religion and government.
- The United States was one of the first Western nations to enshrine secularism in its Constitution. By the 20th century, most people in most Western countries no longer attended church regularly.
- Sexual freedom: The freedom to have sex outside of marriage is another cultural value associated with the West; many non-Westerners see sexual freedom in the West as decadence.
- This cultural trait developed rapidly after the invention of the birth control pill. The 1960s was the decade of the Sexual Revolution.
- Another aspect of sexual freedom is a reproductive choice, something that is widely available in most Western societies.
- Gay rights: Gay rights are more advanced in Western nations than in any other world region.
- Again, this development is often pointed to by non-Westerners as a sign of moral corruption. Westerners, however, point to it as indicative of the Western concept of human rights.
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There are countless examples of Western culture. Below is a list of only a few of the more significant examples:
- The Scientific Method: This method forms the backbone of the technological culture that we live in today and led to the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century.
- Roger Bacon invented the scientific method in England during the Middle Ages.
- English and Spanish languages: These developed in England and Spain and are now the second and third most widely spoken languages on Earth.
- Universities: The university was invented in Italy during the 11th century; it is now ubiquitous worldwide.
- Painting: Many cultures use paint to create drawings, but Western artists were the first to create genuinely photograph-like images using this medium.
- Feminism: Feminism began in France and England during the 18th and 19th centuries and led to the liberation of half of the human species.
- Music: Classical music, Opera, and Rock were all invented in the West.
- Rock especially is seen as a necessary cultural export of the West. This particular form of music was invented in England and the United States during the 1950s and 1960s.
- Film and Television: There were invented during the 20th century, mainly in the U.S., and are significant cultural exports worldwide.
- Gay marriage: Gay marriage was first legalized in the 1990s in the Netherlands; the legalization was a significant step forward in human rights.
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Western culture is more or less associated with European culture and began with the ancient Greeks, as most countries of the West derive much of their culture from the ancient Greeks and Romans. The West refers to Europe and those countries settled by Europeans, especially the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; Eastern culture refers to East Asia and South Asia, especially China, Japan, and India.
A few historical eras of the West include the Protestant Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution, which occurred due to the invention of the scientific method by Roger Bacon. A few Western culture examples include not only the invention of the scientific method but also universities, painting, and feminism. However, one of the significant cultural attributes associated with the West is individualism and is a stark contrast to Eastern civilization, which is often thought of as collectivist.
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Video Transcript
What Is Western Culture?
When people talk about Western culture, what exactly are they referring to? Western culture is an incredibly broad term used to describe the social norms, belief systems, traditions, customs, values, and so forth that have their origin in Europe or are based on European culture. America, for example, is firmly Western in culture. The East Coast of the United States was originally a British colony, and as America developed into its own independent nation, it carried with it many elements of European culture.
French culture, Spanish culture, and British culture are all sub-categories under the broad, loose category of Western culture. Europe and much of the Western Hemisphere is Western in culture. This is in contrast to Asia, which is Eastern in culture, and Africa, which - you guessed it - has its own unique African culture. Australia is largely Western in culture.
Western culture is a pretty fluid and loose term because it encompasses so much. Some of the central characteristics of Western culture include:
- Democracy
- Rational thinking
- Individualism
- Christianity
- Capitalism
- Modern technology
- Human rights
- Scientific thinking
Most historians agree that the concept of Western culture emerged with the Ancient Greeks. The Greeks were the first to build what has come to be called Western civilization. They developed democracy, and made critical advances in science, philosophy, and architecture. If you look at the architecture of the United States capital, Washington, D.C., you'll see that the columns, arches, and domes are all based on Greek and Roman architecture. The Greeks and Romans pretty much founded Western culture and transmitted it to Europe, and from there it was transmitted to the Western Hemisphere.
Key Features of Western Culture
So, we've already briefly identified some of the key features of Western culture, but now let's explore them in a little more detail. Western culture is ruggedly individualistic. Westerners pride themselves in having their own unique identities. They like to think for themselves, and they value individualism. Eastern culture, by contrast, tends to be much more collectivist. This is where democracy and individual rights come in; Westerners champion the concept that each person should be free: free to have a political voice, free to express oneself, free to live as he or she chooses.
The Christian religion is a huge component of Western culture. Think about how many great works of Western art are based on Christianity, such as Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling or Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. While not everyone today practices Christianity, the influence of Christianity flows through many fibers of Western culture and social life.
One critical development in the history of Christianity that has had profound effects on Western culture was the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a European anti-Catholic revolution that was sparked in 1517 by a monk named Martin Luther. Luther was basically protesting what he perceived as corruption and false teaching in the Church, but the movement he began came to have broader cultural and social ramifications. The Protestant Reformation led to the radical notion that common people could have a political voice, and ultimately hastened the growth of democracy, capitalism, and individualism.
Another key moment in the development of Western culture was the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that took place between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. The Enlightenment emphasized things like reason, science, and skepticism. The attitudes and values we hold today are largely products of the Enlightenment. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, was deeply influenced by the Enlightenment, and the ideals of the Enlightenment provide the foundation for the American government.
Western Culture & Society Today
So, now that we understand where Western culture came from and what its key characteristics are, what does it look like in everyday life and society? Western culture has served its people well. High standards of living are typically associated with it, as is a solid education.
In modern times, the Western emphasis on education and science has resulted in putting a man on the moon and all kinds of medical breakthroughs. Since the advent of modern science during the Scientific Revolution of the 16th to 18th centuries, technology has played a crucial role in Western culture. Today, that might mean using your iPhone, but consider the many ways science has advanced our culture and provided convenience.
Westerners, by and large, also value reason. Western society is in many ways a rational society. Westerners often expect each other to use logic to solve problems and to understand the nature of existence.
Westerners also tend to be expressive, especially through the creation and value of art and the arts. Some of the greatest masterpieces of art in world history have been products of Western culture - just think about masters like Picasso, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt.
Today, Western civilization moves at the speed of light. Westerners text their fiends to tell them they'll be late to Starbucks because of traffic on the highway. They swipe a piece of plastic to pay for coffee. They check their finances on a computer. They receive education via computers and the Internet, just as you're doing at this moment. They style themselves and express themselves through clothing that corresponds to who they consider themselves to be. And, they don't worry about persecution because of political views or religious beliefs. Westerners often take this for granted, yet it all stems from our Western culture.
Lesson Summary
Western culture is a broad term used to describe the social norms, belief systems, traditions, customs, values, and so forth that have their origin in Europe or are based on European culture. Some of the central characteristics of Western culture include:
- Democracy
- Rational thinking
- Individualism
- Christianity
- Capitalism
- Modern technology
- Human rights
- Scientific thinking
The Greeks and Romans were instrumental in inaugurating Western culture, and Christianity has had profound affects and effects upon it. The Protestant Reformation was a European anti-Catholic revolution that was sparked in 1517 by a monk named Martin Luther. The movement ultimately furthered the ideas of democracy, capitalism, and individualism, even if this was not necessarily intended.
Another key moment in the development of Western culture was the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that took place between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, and stressed human reason, skepticism, and scientific thinking. The Scientific Revolution took place during the 16th to 18th centuries, and was basically the advent of modern science. These major historical events were fundamental in shaping the culture and society that Westerners live in today.
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