| MIDDLE AGES | RENAISSANCE | MODERN WORLD |
|---|---|---|
| Faith | Secularism | Secularism |
| Ascetic & Monastic Ideal | Hedonism | Hedonism |
| Highest Good=Salvation | Highest Good=Virtue (human accomplishments), This-World | Highest Good=Happiness Materialism, social mobility, self-development |
| Other-Worldly | This-World | |
| Sinfulness of Man | Dignity of Man | Dignity of Man, Human Rights |
| Corporate Group as opposed to individualism | Individualism | Individualism |
| Feudalism & Serfdom | N. Italy not very feudal | Industrial & Post Industrial |
| Rural & Agrarian Society | Urban, Commercial & Finacial capitalism | Urban/Suburban |
| Guilds | ||
| Scholasticism (dialectic, metaphysics, logic) | Humanities, literature, the Fine Arts | Science |
| Rise of the Universities | Mass Education | |
| Rise of Representative Government | Democracy, Liberalism | |
| Origins of the State in Feudal Monarchies | City-State Republics | Nationalism, nation-state |
| Subordination of Women | Some education for rich & noble women | Women's Liberation |
| Civic Competition, competition for wealth, power, & fame | Capitalism, Socialism | |
| Apostolic Poverty | Wealth | Materialism |
| Withdrawl from the World, Contemplation | Active life, civic participation, art & culture | Active life, political participation, leisure |
| Gothic | Classical | Post-Classical |