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[Almighty_Chocobo]

The paper isn't due for another month, but I want to get this thing over and done with.
Our professor is basically giving us free reign to write our papers on anything pertaining to Western Civ between 3000BCE to around 1000AD, so long as we argue IN FAVOR OF what we have chosen, while NOT writing narratively. I realize that there are thousands of things during this time period that I can write about, but I just can't decide on one.

I was originally planning on writing about Hammurabi's code and it's positive effect on modern-day laws and justice, but after reading up on it, I've realized that there really isn't much positive to argue for about Hammurabi's code. It's one of the most harsh, merciless, and retarded things that I've ever read.

If anybody has any topic ideas that they want to throw out there, I'd be most appreciative.

 

[Doth Togo]

write about how people were influenced by christ in a scientific and cultural sense. such as, the spawning of wars/crusades/alternative religions as a response to the newly found religion/inventions/socio-economic developments...

 

[Phoenix]

The military industrial complex and its "positive" role in western civilization.

 

[MrAngryFace]

French Revolution is a classic. Writing an opinion on current day crap is so boring, you can get all that shit from newsweek and people who post on this forum. Old wars are far more interesting than snore-riffic armchair warrior current events.

 

[Memles]

French Revolution is a classic. Writing an opinion on current day crap is so boring, you can get all that shit from newsweek and people who post on this forum. Old wars are far more interesting than snore-riffic armchair warrior current events.

3000BCE to around 1000AD

I think everything before 1000AD is excrutiatingly boring compared to stuff like the FR, so I don't have much in the way of suggestions.

 

[MrAngryFace]

My western civ prof through college was French Spec so thats all I heard about

 

[Shompola]

Write about the hellenistic periods of Greece vs ROME and how much Greece encouraged research in nature sciense while ROME almost ignored it more or less. That would be quite interesting as people tend to ignore this very fact or simple do not know about it.

"I was originally planning on writing about Hammurabi's code and it's positive effect on modern-day laws and justice, but after reading up on it, I've realized that there really isn't much positive to argue for about Hammurabi's code. It's one of the most harsh, merciless, and retarded things that I've ever read."

Yes writing about Cyrus The Great would be a better choice in that regard, but then again he wasnt western per today definition.

 

[Instigator]

I am not sure if this would fit your criterias, but I'd love to read about those subjects:

- Europe under constant pressure from barbarians before and after the Roman empire. Talk about the impact (in a positive light, I guess) of those marauding people, sometimes just out to grab some land, other times just fleeing meaner guys behind them.

- Instead of focusing on Christianity, try to talk about the native belief systems that came before it. There are common threads between many of them since most Europeans are related.

- If you can go that far back in history, try talking about the people that were in Europe before the Celts made it in Western Europe. I'd also want to know about the Etrusks (sp?), the people living in Italy before the Romans conquered them. They had an impact.

- I always had a soft spot for the ancient Greeks. Maybe focus on Crete, the Greek civilization before Athens and Sparta. Sophisticated people and apparently, mother nature was not kind to them.

 

[Memles]

Oh, another point: Be specfic.

On an introductory paper for a course, do not take some broad topic you could never possibly cover in the amount of words you have. Pick a smaller, more focused ideal and use it.

 

[Almighty_Chocobo]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm starting to take a liking to Shampola's suggestion about Greece and Rome's scientific differences.

 

[Boogie]

French Revolution is a classic.

MAF has date-comprehension problems

 

[MrAngryFace]

More like reading comp. GAF has taught me to read the topic, guess what they might have said, provide answer based off of guess.

 

[Red Scarlet]

You could try the implications of Charlemagne being crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the pope (was before 1000AD).

 

[Excess Poo Flakes]

Write about the similarities of Byzantium and the early Islamic Empire.