Medieval Technology and Social Change
Medieval Technology and Social Change Oxford University Press first published Medieval Technology and Social Change in 1962. It discusses the technological advances during the medieval times and how these changes affected society. The book's author, Lynn White, Jr., was born in San Francisco in 1907. Educated at Stanford, Union Theological, and Princeton, White taught at Princeton and the University of California at Los Angeles. He was also president of Mills College in Oakland from the 1940s to the 1960s. His other works include Medieval Religion and Technology: Collected Essays, published in 1978 and Life & Work in Medieval Europe, the Evolution of Medieval Economy from the Fifth to the Fifteenth Century, published in 1982. White's work has been influential both in medieval history and the history of science. In Medieval Technology and Social Change, White examines the role of technological innovation during the rise of social groups in the Middle Ages. White begins with the invention of the stirrup. He shows how this innovation, in turn, introduced heavy, long-range cavalry to the medieval battlefield. The development thus escalated small-scale conflict to "shock combat." Cannons and flame-throwers followed, as did m
Many of the dates can be put into question, shaking the stability of White's ideas. White is very clear on his theories and uses several examples to support them. White strengthens his argument on the subject by pointing out Brunner's error. There is also no reference to this line in the endnotes. Perhaps White was only writing to scholars, who are capable of understanding Latin, French, or the other languages used, but the lack of translation is quite frustrating to the common man. Before White, few scholars thought that any significant science or engineering was done in Europe during the Middle. Aside from the lack of translation, Medieval Technology and Social Change is a book for anyone interested in this time period. Although the weaknesses in the book can not be ignored, they do not hinder the fascinating descriptions of the medieval times. His theme of the effect technology is laid out through his discussion of the stirrup, the plow, and factories. Although White's work falls short in a few areas, it is valuable for the attention that it pays to aspects of medieval history that too often go ignored White's work is important because he advocates the importance of science and technology to medieval history. The concept of the knight's duty to his lord translated into chivalry and noble obligation. " White then continues as if these words were a part of the English language, or as if the common person can read Latin. He pays close attention to aspects of medieval life that many other scholars had previously disregarded. Like most works of literature, Medieval Technology and Social Change has both strengths and weaknesses.
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