Western Civilization
The West, although typically defined by its borders, is so much more than a territory. Western
civilization can refer to the people who live there and how they differ from the rest of the world. The
beginnings of western civilization began with the Greeks and Romans. Other civilizations that popped up
around the same time include the Egyptians near the Nile River, the Mesopotamians between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers, and another group of people near the Indus river. All of these groups of people
sprung up within five hundred years of each other. These communities depended on the rivers they
were near to help them with their agriculture. The early western civilizations also had theocratic
governments. Around 2000 BC, a small kingdom, known as the Hebrew kingdom, popped up and had a
great impact on western civilization.
Culture was a big part of The West, and still is today. Religion was a big part of that culture. At
first, many of the civilizations were polytheistic, they believed in many gods. Once the Hebrew kingdom
came, though, monotheism became more and more popular. Their belief in one God played a huge role
in ethics, and to this day still does for the entire world. Religions were used to explain natural
phenomena, ease the fear of death, unite people, and to bolster authorities (kings had been
“appointed” by God and were therefore divine). The “divine right of kings” continued to exist until
people didn’t need superstition anymore. These early civilizations went from superstition to reason,
they had a new way of looking at the world. People began to wonder how things actually worked; like
rain. Early civilizations began to rationalize and think scientifically. People began planning on how to
control the Nile, they began building pyramids, made a solar calendar, and tried their hand at making
medicines. The government became more democratic. Individualism came into play and people wanted
freedom. Not all of the ways of thinking were good, however. Many societies had slaves, engaged in
barbaric warfare, and have dealt with problems by using genocide. Gradually, as time went on, people
began to think that those were wrong, so they became less and less common.
Modern western civilization has developed even more and changed only slightly. Most of the
west is monotheistic, which came from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Church and state have become