Synopsis
"Your journey begins with a close look at the backgrounds to the modern Western world and an exploration of how Western Europe transitioned from a medieval mindset to the modern path that would take it through the next 600 years. In addition to looking at the critical role played by factors like climate, topography, and natural resources, you chart the six developments that destroyed the old medieval worldview:
the development of Renaissance Humanism
the rise of centrally governed nation-states
the discovery of the New World
the creation of the printing press
the Protestant Reformation and its subsequent religious wars
the rational and scientific revolutions" [The Great Courses]