Compare and Contrast the Medieval Society with Today's American Society

Compare and Contrast the Medieval Society with Today's American Society

Introduction

The Medieval era, or the Middle Ages, is also known as the Dark ages which lasted for more than thousand years. It started with the fall of the Roman Empire and ended with the Renaissance (Forgeng and Singman, 1999). When modern people whisked back to the centuries of medieval era, they soon realized that the medieval society was greatly different from the life they are living today. The simplest daily routine works take the shape of important chores; abundantly available possessions become valuable rarities. Social interactions at commonplaces become one with own self and the physical environment also take an important role.

Discussion

When people, particularly Americans, find out the different between Western world of today and of the Middle Ages, they realized the fact the differences are immense. The ways people of both era think and the way with which both societies work are in contrast to each other. The differences lie at every sphere of living such as religion, art and technology.

In the Medieval time, people used to assume as an integral part of their lives. Precisely, it can be said that the medieval life was based on religion and people of that time used to do things for the intention of fulfilling time on earth and find a better place in their afterlife (Forgeng and Singman, 1999). Religious rituals and beliefs were the only which could fulfill their expectations regarding a peaceful eternal life. In contrast, today religion plays a different role. For most of the Americans, it has become optional to attend churches and worship God. It has become a part of their life rather than a central point. They expect to follow religion when they believe they have spare time or remember God at the time of hardships. They no longer governed by their religions but they may also chose which ever faith they want to practice (Mills, 2004). This practice could have been a shock for the medieval person, for who religion is the principle of their lives and they were expected to sufficiently follow the teachings of God.

The political structure which exists in today's society is also completely different from that of the Middle Ages. People of that time could not assume separating Church from the political system of the state. At that time people were expected to follow the rules, regulation and system devised by the Church, which was the only supreme power after God (Newman, 2001). On the other hand, today the government leaders and political parties rules over a country rather than any religious head of example pope. No matter how secular is a country; church has no say in here and only viewed as en entirely separate faculty from the government. American's of today are sued to of democratic rule and cannot expect and accept any authoritative rule over them. They possess a right to vote and choose their own leader ...