Unfortunately, Christianity grew via The Crusades and The Inquisitions, hardly peaceful activities. Blind faith is not clear guidance to maximize well-being and minimize hardship. Physical reality trumps all imaginary ones, and all social mammals follow the same determinants, human or not. Our numerical success, particularly in the past two centuries (800%), has us in plague phase, nearing a reversal which could be rapid. Fasten the seat belts for your progeny.
An interesting post. The “Digna Vox” is a timely quote. One of the Western World’s chief afflictions is the lack of a set of laws that are evenly applied to all, both mighty and small. Today what we call law is, as the old saying goes, “honored more in the breach than in the observance,” to put it mildly.
“Digna Vox” may have worked as a concept only because the ruler willingly accepted such a constraint--presumably no political power existed (other than a mass uprising) to force such behavior if the ruler was determined to exercise what he thought were his exclusive prerogatives. A belief in the universal applicability of a legal code must permeate society to be durable. Perhaps that is why concepts such as Sharia had more success—the law in such a case is religious precept rather than man-made. Not “God on Earth” but at least “handed down from God” at least. In a devout society these would have been almost universally acknowledged as required standards of behavior.
Perhaps the reining in of imperial power was a response to necessity rather than a voluntary expression of virtue. The military by this time in Roman history was in serious decline. There is a military manual of sorts, “Epitome of Military Science” by Vegetius, written around 400 AD (I think) that historians believe was intended to advise the emperor on extensive military reform. I understand that in the Middle Ages this was for a time considered required reading, as it describes what the author felt was an idealized Roman army.
Similar themes pop up elsewhere in history. A Chinese novel “The Qin Empire”, which was made into a popular TV series and is well known in China, is about the unification of the first Chinese Empire. One of its central themes is reform that establishes a new legal code and ensuring that it is applied not only to the common citizen, but to the ruling class as well.
Unfortunately, Christianity grew via The Crusades and The Inquisitions, hardly peaceful activities. Blind faith is not clear guidance to maximize well-being and minimize hardship. Physical reality trumps all imaginary ones, and all social mammals follow the same determinants, human or not. Our numerical success, particularly in the past two centuries (800%), has us in plague phase, nearing a reversal which could be rapid. Fasten the seat belts for your progeny.
A new culture?
https://gusdonblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/reconstruccion-amorosa-del-yo.html?m=1
An interesting post. The “Digna Vox” is a timely quote. One of the Western World’s chief afflictions is the lack of a set of laws that are evenly applied to all, both mighty and small. Today what we call law is, as the old saying goes, “honored more in the breach than in the observance,” to put it mildly.
“Digna Vox” may have worked as a concept only because the ruler willingly accepted such a constraint--presumably no political power existed (other than a mass uprising) to force such behavior if the ruler was determined to exercise what he thought were his exclusive prerogatives. A belief in the universal applicability of a legal code must permeate society to be durable. Perhaps that is why concepts such as Sharia had more success—the law in such a case is religious precept rather than man-made. Not “God on Earth” but at least “handed down from God” at least. In a devout society these would have been almost universally acknowledged as required standards of behavior.
Perhaps the reining in of imperial power was a response to necessity rather than a voluntary expression of virtue. The military by this time in Roman history was in serious decline. There is a military manual of sorts, “Epitome of Military Science” by Vegetius, written around 400 AD (I think) that historians believe was intended to advise the emperor on extensive military reform. I understand that in the Middle Ages this was for a time considered required reading, as it describes what the author felt was an idealized Roman army.
Similar themes pop up elsewhere in history. A Chinese novel “The Qin Empire”, which was made into a popular TV series and is well known in China, is about the unification of the first Chinese Empire. One of its central themes is reform that establishes a new legal code and ensuring that it is applied not only to the common citizen, but to the ruling class as well.