SS90 – Unit 3

1. SS90 – Unit 3 Causality

2. Topic 1 - Causality • Causality involves the principle of cause and effect. • This principle is based on the notion that nothing can happen or exist without a cause. • Causality is not the same as coincidence. • The cause(s) of an event is (are) often difficult to determine.

3. Events often have more than one cause and more than one effect. • Events can have both immediate and long term effects, and it is likely that long term effects will remain unknown for some time. • The effect of an event often manifests itself long after an event is over. • The effect of an event often depends on the ways that individuals or societies respond to it.

4. Topic 2 - Causality and Social Organization • Societies are collections of individuals who have needs and wants that must be satisfied. • Institutions and organizations are created within society to meet the needs and wants of people. • Material needs and wants cause the creation of economic organizations.

5. The need for structure and order cause the creation of political organizations. • Social needs and wants cause the creation of a range of social institutions from the family to the state.

6. Needs and wants of the mind and spirit cause the formation of educational and religious organizations. • Acceptance of certain sets of values by individuals and societies will cause certain kinds of behaviour.

7. Topic Three: Paradigms • A paradigm is a set or pattern of ideas, beliefs and values used by individuals and societies as a means of making sense of reality.

8. People choose and/or accept patterns of ideas, beliefs and values known as paradigms. • A widely accepted paradigm will seem to be common sense to people who believe it. • A group of different paradigms about a variety of aspects of life form the basis of a worldview.

9. Topic Four: Causality and Changing Worldviews • Paradigms have a powerful effect on how people see the world. In other words, paradigms determine worldview. • Paradigms act as filters: facts fitting the paradigm are accepted, while those not fitting the paradigm are distorted, rejected ignored or not even perceived.

10. Topic Five: Shifting Paradigms • Over the course of time a paradigm (set of ideas, beliefs and values) seen as explaining an aspect of reality will be increasingly seen as inadequate. Initially, only a few people will see this inadequacy. They will have to risk the resistance of the majority, who do not yet see the problems with the old paradigm. At some point, it will become more obvious that the old paradigm needs to be replaced. When this occurs, there will be significant implications for many areas of society.

11. Topic Six: Worldviews • A worldview is a distinctive way of looking at reality that creates a context for living. • A worldview is based upon a group of paradigms about a variety of aspects of life/society. • Over time the worldview of a society can change a great deal.

12. The Evolution of the Renaissance: • From about 1050 to1300 A.D. there had been prosperity, large population growth and growth of political power of cities. The Renaissance (from 1300 to almost 1600 A.D.) saw a great deal of development in art, music, literature, science, etc.

13. Renaissance thinkers believed they were living in a new age that had some basic values: • individualism, which stressed personality, genius, uniqueness and the full development of potential • humanism, which emphasized the achievements, interests and capabilities of people • secularism, which involved concentrating on the material world instead of the spiritual world.

14. Topic Seven: Paradigm Shifts in History • The Reformation and development of the Renaissance worldview created a challenge to the medieval paradigms, which were seen as inadequate in explaining reality as it could be observed or understood. The period from the 16th to the 18th centuries represents a time in history when a number of paradigm shifts occurred as people struggled to deal with a new view of reality.

15. The Reformation began a revolution of religious thinking. Within the framework of this revolution in religion, there developed a paradigm that led to different views on the way societies should be organized: • Calvinism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized individuality, hard work, productivity and personal responsibility.

16. Anabaptism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized a communal life style, cooperative work, sharing and group discipline • Catholicism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized obedience, service, charity and confession

17. Topic Eight: Growth of the Enlightenment • The Enlightenment: • In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, philosophers attempted to apply the scientific paradigm to human behaviour and society. These people based their thinking on three beliefs/values about human beings:

18. Individualism-- the importance of individuals and their rights as members of society. • Relativism-- the idea that different ideas, cultures, religions, values and behaviour have as much value as one's own. • Rationalism-- the belief that humans have the ability to arrive at truth through the power of reason.

19. Locke and Hobbes developed two different paradigms about the relationship of individuals and government within a society. • Hobbes – humans need authority for their own protection because they are selfish and egotistical. • Locke – humans can live a reasonable life and need government only to protect the rights of life, liberty and property.

20. Topic Nine: The American Revolution • The abstract ideas that were discussed in the Enlightenment eventually had a very real and profound effect on actual political systems. The United States of America was the first country to be founded upon the ideals of the Enlightenment. This was an incredible social experiment unlike any tried before.

21. The last years of the 18th century were a time of great change. A series of revolutions challenged the old paradigms of aristocrats and kings. A great revolution began in America in 1775, which established the United States of America as a new social experiment. This revolution has had profound effects on the world and on Canada.

22. The United Empire Loyalists: • Canada has roots in this revolution. The United Empire Loyalists disagreed with the political paradigms of the American revolution and migrated to what would become Canada so they could pursue a way of life based on more traditional paradigms.