Ships are an essential aspect of the modern world that originated in Western culture. The West possessed a fantastic naval setup that continued to improve throughout time. It is not difficult to discover examples of the British, Dutch, and Portuguese establishing naval— and so imperial— control over faraway regions (Lewis, 1997). These countries pooled their naval resources and built ships with more weapons and maneuverability than the Muslims. Western ships were significantly more extensive and technically oriented than the small ships employed by the Muslims. With their rapid mobility and capacity to carry enormous cargo, these ships aided trade and the movement of products.
The author identified Civil Society as “Voluntary associations including groups as diverse as business corporations, trade unions, political parties, established churches, independent colleges, clubs, and sports teams.” He was referring to a societal structure that included people who were not under the jurisdiction of any religion or government. Because it was a massive group of people who had the same interests and ideas, the Levant Company was a civil society. It was a volunteer group made up of people from many walks of life who shared their views, opinions, goals, and hobbies. These kinds of groupings were scarce during Easter and in non-Western locations. They didn’t have the same sort of middle ground as the West. They could engage with one another and learn new things while being at ease in their surroundings.
Lewis acknowledges that modern society originated in the West but also feels influenced by other cultures. The Islamic world pioneered experimental science much before the West did. Islamic science pioneered empirical science, which paved the way for Western modernization. Much before they were known in the West, Greek philosophy and sciences were stored, translated, and studied throughout the Islamic world (Lewis, 1997). They researched civilizations and sciences from all across the globe. They were the first multicultural, multiracial, and intercontinental individuals.
They were also important in mathematics and commerce. To aid trade, Europeans learned Western languages from them. Many mathematical terms, such as zero and number placement, are derived from Islamic texts. Islam brought many modern concepts and ideas to the table long before the West.
At first, the contemporary world was upsetting to all regions, but they eventually adjusted. Over time, the military evolved significantly, resulting in a more robust and well-built force. They figured out how to make more powerful weaponry and bigger ships. After the West influenced it, art and architecture grew important throughout the world. Art is becoming a part of everyday life and can be found almost anywhere. Literature and music differed from place to country, yet they all had it at some point.
For the time being, the dominating civilization is Western, as Atatiirk observed and as Indian computer scientists and Japanese high-tech businesses recognize, and Western standards, as a result, define modernity (Lewis, 1997). The world we live in today has its roots in Western influences, which other civilizations have inherited in their unique ways. Science began with Islam and has since expanded throughout the globe. Modernization is unavoidable, and adapting to new cultures will bring individuals and countries closer together.
Lewis feels that experimental science is one of the features of global modernity that has emerged from multicultural identification. He names several points, including commerce and education. However, empirical sciences are possibly the most significant discipline in our modern world, as we would not have the technological developments we take for granted without them.
Reference
Lewis, B. (1997). The West and the Middle East. Foreign Affairs.