152321

1MAC-IMC1
March 16, 2016
Ms. Danielle Calantuan-Mejos
Civ Requirement #3
From the Age of Enlightenment until the contemporary times, we can see that man continues to regress and
progress. Mankind faced trials and problems in these periods that would lead to both regression and progression. Although
the circumstances caused man to regress, man continues and uses this as an opportunity to progress, develop, and become
better. Despite regression, man continues to grow and progress in terms of political ideas and human understanding.
The Age of Enlightenment was a period wherein a rift between the Church and the people developed. Mans
secular view of the world distanced himself from God due to the emphasis on the power of the human mind. Man also
developed ideals that disregarded the Church which then resulted in a negative attitude towards religion thus, caused man
to regress. An example of factors that led to regression were ideas developed by influential thinkers Voltaire and Rosseau.
According to Armenio, Voltaire developed the thinking that belief in God and discernment between good and evil arose
from reason alone. On the other hand, Rosseau was the antithesis of Voltaire, because he strongly believed that society was
to blame for mans problems: he believed that society made rules to subjugate individual freedom and that this resulted in
man forced to become a creature of violence. These ideas are expressed in his work The Social Contract, which focused on
his take on liberty and equality, which would then influence the French Revolution and eventually give rise to the emergence
of Fascism in World War II. Additionally, Deism was another factor of regression: Deists believed that God does exist but
denies any divine intervention. They saw God as a great watchmaker and believed that their sects purpose was to destroy
the Catholic Church and undermine her influence. Here, we see that the development of ideologies and philosophies, which
disregarded religion, caused mans spiritual development to decrease as he drifted away from God and thus, delved into a
secular view of the world. We also see that man continues to progress despite the negative effects of his progression. Voltaire
and Rosseaus philosophies help contribute to mans progress and to society as a whole: these ideas fueled the French
Revolution and the ideologies of World War II, as mentioned. Other than that, the creation of the Encyclopedia by Denis
Diderot is also helpful to mans progression: it attempted to discredit the Faith and to put doubt in the Christian faithful, but
it spread throughout Europe and here we see that in a sense, it promoted awareness. We cannot ignore the fact that man was
becoming conscious of the world around him. Although man regresses because of his secular view of the world, he
progresses through his development of political ideas and social policies. The French Revolution is a direct effect of this
period of progress: the philosophies and ideas developed during the Enlightenment were applied in the French Revolution.
The French Revolution is an important period in history because it gave emphasis to ideas such as nationalism,
freedom, and liberalism. Initially, the French Revolution began due to the division of the population into 3 Estates and
because of King Louis XVI as a weak ruler, which in itself is an example of regression. Louis XVI delved in a lavish life and
debt yet managed to involve France in the American Revolution which led to financial problems and to the French people or
the poor having to pay more taxes as compared to the royalty who did not need to. Revolutionary ideas inspired the people
to take up arms against tyranny and to rebel. It is evident that man progresses despite the circumstances of regression: the
people felt that it was unfair for them to be paying a big amount of tax which would end up in the pockets of the royalty, so
they responded by rebelling and revolting. The Reign of Terror happened as a result of the French Revolution: Robespierre
sentenced anyone against the Revolution, yet he contradicts what it is that he stands for by using violence in establishing
revolutionary ideas. What made this a factor of regression is that those who were punished were normal people who had
criticized the Revolution, and that violence was a method used in enacting these ideas. We see that man is progressing
despite instances of regression as mentioned before. One factor of progress was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen, which was issued by the National Assembly as a means to address issues regarding abuse of the Old Regime and
served as basis for the French Constitution later on. We can see that man progresses in the sense of human understanding:
that people must be treated equal but first, we must start addressing root problems like in the example of the French
revolution, the taxes being paid by the French people which the National Assembly handled. Another factor of progress
were the ideas of freedom and liberty which was very evident during the French Revolution: people brought up arms
against the monarchy and rebelled for their rights. Napoleon Bonaparte is another important figure that contributes to mans
progress during the French Revolution as he signified the end of it: Napoleon reestablished relations with the Pope and the
Church was able to forgive him despite having Pope Pius VII imprisoned at some point. Man progressed in understanding
and establishing human rights and natural law, man was also able to solve social problems like the Three Estates and tax
problems, and lastly, man was able to apply the ideas of liberty, equality, and freedom, as seen in the French Revolution.

While the French Revolution focused on politics and religion, the Industrial Revolution revolved around man and
society. The Industrial Revolution was a huge period that focused on the progressing economic power throughout Europe,
especially in Great Britain. However, progress comes with regression as compared to the social consequences that Europe
experienced. Armenio states that Englands growing population tripled to 30 million which caused densely packed cities
and industrial centers to be even more crowded. People were forced to work under dangerous conditions with machines for
14 hours or more yet this brought about a surplus of goods. Family relationships changed as parents and children were often
apart and employment was necessary for every family member. Child labor was also prevalent during this time: 20% of
textile mill employees were under 10 years old and child wages were the lowest. Diseases spread in working class districts
and loss of life was frequent. These are factors of regression because we see that though man is progressing through
invention of machines and of surplus in products, it is at the expense of several lives. It is evident that several issues
regarding the state of society arose due to the poor working conditions of the time but were addressed by the First Vatican
Council and the Rerum Novarum. The First Vatican Council addressed contemporary issues like socialism, liberalism, and
materialism. They also discussed errors in ideas and opinions that challenged Church authority. This is an example of mans
progress because this gave people a better understanding of the Pope and his authority and because it was able to fix the
division between the Church and her people. The Rerum Novarum is also an example of mans progress in political ideas
because it addressed social justice. Here, we see that Pope Leo XIII rejected socialism and capitalism because these two ideas
opposed human dignity and personal freedom. Another example that shows the progress of man specifically in human
understanding is the Pope stating that all men have the right to property and a just wage. All in all, man was able to
progress despite the hardships and challenges that the Industrial Revolution brought about which is evident in the Rerum
Novarum and the First Vatican Council.
This is connected to British Imperialism: while industrialization spread across Europe, there was also colonial
expansion which is rooted in Imperialism. Europeans began to have an exalted or superior view on their civilization and
brought about a higher standard of living, given these conditions. There was still regression, specifically in the thinking that
the Western civilization was superior and that European philosophy continued to follow Enlightenment thinking and the
start of the white mans burden. Queen Victoria was the queen of Great Britain, a powerful and wealthy, not to mention
technologically advanced country at the time. Despite regression in terms of their ways of thinking, Victorians showed that
man has progressed through morals such as respect for morality, sense of social responsibility, and high regard for
individual philanthropy. Another factor of progress were democratic reforms such as increased representation among the
working classes, health care, and better working conditions. Another point of progress is the opening of Africa: countries
saw potential for African colonization and thus, there was a race to control interior Africa although met with setbacks such
as outbreaks of malaria and yellow fever. Imperial expansion in Africa is important because missionary revival took place
and brought about an increase in the number of African Catholics and an exchange of culture since missionaries adapted to
languages and assimilated to African life. Mans progress is evident in how the opening of Africa and the spread of religion
show a human understanding: that people could practice beliefs and that they could learn from others as well. Mans
progress is also evident in the fact that although Europeans believed they were superior, their morals were still intact.
This is also connected to the First and Second World Wars wherein religion and political ideas are still present, as
mentioned in the past periods discussed. During the First World War, the Church made efforts not to necessarily stop the
war, but to prevent anymore bloodshed such as in the Christmas Truce and Pope Benedict XVs peace proposal. The article
on the Christmas Truce depicted life in the trenches and in No Mans Land: decomposing bodies left behind, the wounded
left to fend for themselves, and similar other situations. It also tells of a ceasefire that took place since Christmas was
approaching and because the soldiers wanted to spend it in peace. This affects mans progress in such a way that they had
the choice to fraternize with the enemy and gave an opportunity for them to be at peace for a while. Both sides, Germans
and the British, agreed to call for a ceasefire so that they could play soccer, eat, drink, and enjoy the limited time of peace
they had. Although both parties agreed to fraternize, they went back to war after Christmas day. It is evident that man is still
progressing: given the scenario, there is a sense of human understanding. War tends to devalue human rights and dignity
and often will revolve around power, pride and selfishness since the First World War was about nationalism: fighting for
ones country. However, the fact that Christmas was approaching and the call for a ceasefire showed that these men still had
their values intact. The call for a short halt during the war, and that both sides agreed to the ceasefire, show that were was
some human understanding present and that it was still possible to make peace with the enemy. Pope Benedict XVs peace
proposal was concerned with the common good of the great human society and was aimed at world leaders. The Pope
wanted material force to be substituted with moral force, that people should make amends so that man will continue to
progress and prosper. The Pope also said that the cause of war are territorial disputes and force of arms. However during the

end of the First World War and at the Treaty of Versailles, the Germans felt utmost embarrassment and humiliation which
caused Adolf Hitler to step in and for the Second World War to begin. Political ideas Fascism and Nazism rose as well:
Fascism was an authoritarian and hierarchical structure that opposed democracy and liberalism while Nazism is the body of
political and economic doctrines held and put into effect by the Nazis in Germany as well as giving great emphasis to the
Germanic or Aryan race as superior. Other than that, ideas from the Enlightenment carried on until this period, specifically
Rosseaus wherein society is to blame for mans problems. This thinking was exhibited by the Nazis who blamed the Jews,
killing several of them in the process. Mans regression during the World War is rooted in the political ideas that rose and
the need for war to address issues rather than talking peacefully. One point of progress is that despite the war, it is still
possible to coexist and be at peace with each other and also shows that man understands their similarities and yet
empathizes with others. The Christmas Truce and Pope Benedict XVs peace proposal are examples of how man has hope
and is able to progress despite regression.
In conclusion, man has progressed and continues to do so. Regression is part of progress and is used by mankind
to further develop and improve as a whole. This is evident in the Age of Enlightenment and up until today. It is also safe to
say that there is hope for humanity since man continues to progress. He learns from the past and from mistakes and applies
what he has learned to present time. This is seen in the various periods of history discussed: the Age of Enlightenment, the
French Revolution, the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Industrial Revolution and World War I and II. This is also evident in
contemporary time specifically in the Vatican II which states 10 achievements, but out of the 6, I believe the 6th and 10th
were most relevant. The 6th achievement states the rethinking of the concept of authority: that authority is a service of love,
not a service of force. The 10th achievement then states the acceptance of the world: to see the world and its inhabitants as
essentially good and to never lose hope in the restoration of all things. Again, man continues to progress, albeit more
materialistic than spiritual, but man continues to progress nonetheless. Humanity still has hope because man learns from
the past and uses regression to his advantage by improving and developing to produce more progress.