Aldous Huxley :: essays research papers

The English novelist and essayist Aldous Leonard Huxley, b. July 26, 1894, d. Nov. 22, 1963, a member of a distinguished scientific and literary family, intended to study medicine, but was prevented by an eye ailment that almost blinded him at the age of 16. He then turned to literature, publishing two volumes of poetry while still a student at Oxford. His reputation was firmly established by his first novel, Crome Yellow (1921). Huxley's early comic novels, which include Antic Hay (1923), Those Barren Leaves (1925), and Point Counter Point (1928), demonstrate his ability to dramatize intellectual debate in fiction; he discussed philosophical and social topics in a volume of essays, Proper Studies (1927). Brave New World (1932), was his most celebrated work. Aldous Huxley was born in Godalming, Surrey on July 26, 1894, into a well-to-do upper-middle-class family. His father, Leonard Huxley, was a biographer, editor, and poet. He first studied at Eton College, Berkshire (1908-13). When Huxley was fourteen his mother died. At the age of 16 Huxley suffered an attack of keratitis punctata and became for a period of about 18 months totally blind. By using special glasses and one eye recovered sufficiently he was able to read and he also learned Braille. Despite a condition of near-blindness, Huxley continued his studies at Balliol College, Oxford (1913-15), receiving his B.A. in English in 1916. Unable to pursue his chosen career as a scientist - or fight in World War on the front - Huxley turned to writing. His first collection of poetry appeared in 1916 and two more volumes followed by 1920. During the 1920s Huxley formed a close friendship with D.H. Lawrence with whom he traveled in Italy and France. For most of the 1920s Huxley lived in I taly. In the 1930s he moved to Sanary, near Toulon, where he wrote Brave New World, described as a dark vision of a highly technological society of the future. In the1930s Huxley was deeply concerned with the Peace Pledge Union. He moved in 1937 with the guru-figure Gerald Heard to the United States, believing that the Californian climate would help his eyesight, a constant burden. After this turning point in his life, Huxley abandoned pure fictional writing and chose the essay as a way for expressing his ideas. Huxley wrote Brave New World in four months in 1931. It appeared three years after the publication of his best-seller, the novel Point Counter Point.

Atomic bomb Essay

Did the USA need to drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? On the 6th of August 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima,1ushering in the nuclear age. The bomb caused the deaths of over 100,000 people,2with the bulk of the destruction pertaining to innocent civilians. Three days later, the Americans repeated their action at Nagasaki. The aim of the US was not, however, to cause complete annihilation of the Japanese, but to seize the fierce nationalism within Japan, ending world war two. Arguably, this was achieved, with the Emperor Hirohito broadcasting their surrender on the 15th of August.3However, was the Americans use of nuclear warfare justified in their bid for world peace? President of the time Harry Truman stated, â€Å"I never lost any sleep over my decision (to drop the Atomic bomb)†, yet, Americans have since been subject to fierce revisionist denialism that there was not an over riding need to employ such a controversial tactic. By 1945 Japan was in ruins. America had continuously bombed strategic Japanese locations, and implemented a blockade that had dramatic effects on the nations civilians, suggesting that the Japanese were close to surrender without the implantation of the A bomb. Conversely, the US had witnessed the Japanese’s determination to fight to the bitter end , rather than surrender, and their failure to respond to the Potsdam declaration clearly illustrated this. Through analyzing the historical context in which this dramatic act of war occurred it is difficult to come to a sound judgment on the necessity of America’s actions. Due to the consequences that would have triggered if the war had continued, i believe that the US did need to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, however, it was not necessary to drop the following bomb on Nagasaki. With the break out of World War two, Hitlers initial victories captured the imagination of the Japanese militarists, showing what could be achieved through a program of territorial expansionism. Due to the war, changes occurred in Europe’s colonial powers, which created a power vacuum in South East Asia, and a perfect stage for Japan to expand their influence; as Edwin P Hoyt stated â€Å"Japans ambition at the lowest level was to replace the Europeans and the Americans as the colonial powers†¦establishing an Asian  Federation†. This shift in power however was not supported by the US , creating a poisonous relationship between the two nations that would end in catosptrophy. The US implemented harsh economic sanctions, resulting in an ultimatum for Japan. Japan could either give into the pressure from the US and retreat from South East Asia, or , they could advance to take over the resources of Malaya and the oil fields of the Netherlands East Indies, which would indefinitely lead to war with the US. Historian Hugh brogan affirms Roosevelt was â€Å" convinced US would enter the war†¦yet refused to fire the first shot†. The Japanese planned to adopt a dual approach were upon they would enter into negotiations with the US and prepare for war at the same time. The Japanese believed that war might be avoided if the 1  L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956. US dropped the sanctions in return for their withdrawal from Indochina; however, on the 26th of November Cordell Hull made an unacceptable demand, claiming that the Japanese were required to withdraw from not just Indo China, but also China. Japan deemed this unacceptable, and at the Imperial Conference 1st December 1941 a final decision was made to go to war with the US, and orders were made to carry out a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbour. On the 7th of December 1941 the Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour, killing 2388 soldiers 9, in the hopes of knocking the United States out of a Pacific war, allowing them to pursue their strategic and imperialistic goals. However, Japans failure to achieve total victory meant that the Japanese unified a nation against them, which then mobilised its mighty economy into a war machine that eventually defeated Japan. The importance in understanding the context which resulted in Japan and US warfare is vital in evaluating whether the US needed to drop the Atomic bomb. This being as it is evident that since the emergence of Japan as world power, the US have been present, and determined to minimise the Japanese’s influence. This relationship of dominance , whereby the US hands Japan harsh ultimatums is arguably one of the reasons why Japan refused to surrender in 1945, and will be discussed in depth as the essay progresses. As the conflict between the US and Japan developed the Japanese initially stunned the United States with their success, ending the period of European colonial rule in Asia within just 6 months, bringing to fruition the Japanese dream of a Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere. The Japanese demolished the creed of European and white superiority that had been the bastion of European colonialism in Asia, completely reshaping the political dynamics of Asia. However, intoxicated by their success, rather than consolidating their gains, they still searched for new opportunities. The Allies began their counter attack, however, became aware of the determination that defined Japanese militarism, whereby their soldiers were willing to fight to death, rather than surrender. During December and January 1944 and 1945 the Americans regularly bombed the islands of Iwo Jima, launched 334 B’29s on the capital Tokyo killing 83000 people in March, and attacked Okinawa, the site of a major military base10. Thus by July 1945, Japan had few ships and planes to defend itself, and was met with leaflets from the US announcing in advance where the next attack would take place, urging people to surrender. Furthermore, the blockade implemented by the allies was severely impacting the Japanese, solidifying that defeat was inevitable, yet the Allies heard no news of surrender from the Emperor. Consequently the US began to evaluate the implementation of the A bomb as a necessary method in order to bring the war to a conclusion. President Truman described the Atomic project as the ‘greatest scientific gamble in history’ and believes his decision to drop it was unquestionably the right decision, bringing the war to a quick. end, and saving the lives of thousands of Allies. Prior to its use, the Potsdam Declaration was released, informing the Japanese that they must surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt and utter destruction’. (Unknown to the Japanese this was a reference to the A-Bomb). The allies hoped that an invasion of Japan could be avoided if the declaration was accepted, however, with the Japanese’ failure to reply, the count down to the first  use of an atomic bomb moved onward. On the 6th of August 1945, the Enola Gay was released over the city of Hiroshima12, an unprecedented attack resulting in mass scale destruction. President Truman announced following that ‘If Japan does not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth’. 13However, despite, the destruction of Hiroshima, the American Government received no communications from the Japanese government in Tokyo, resulting in a secon d bomb launched on Nagasaki. Consequently, on the 14th of August, after failed attempts of safeguarding his position, the Emperor accepted the Allied terms. Hirohito made an official radio broadcast to the nation, stating ‘should we continue to fight†¦it would lead to the total extinction of human civilisation’, 14and on the 2nd of September, aboard the Missouri, the main surrender occurred, ending the conflict in the pacific. The atomic bomb, although causing mass scale disaster, finished the cruel and drawn out conflict, however, does that mean that it was necessary, and can be justified? Perhaps the biggest debate which argues that the bomb was not needed was that fact Japan was in fact already defeated. Dennis Wainstock, author of ‘The decision to drop the bomb’ believes that the blockade, in conjunction with the B’29s attack destroyed Japan, broadening the realisation of defeat. Rear Admiral Tochitane Takata said ‘The b29’s were the greatest single factor in forcing the Japanese to surrender’ with Lieutenant General Kawabe believing ‘it is my opinion our loss in the air lost us the war’.16 Furthermore, Japan was economically dependant on foreign sources, thus the blockade favoured the conviction that defeat was inevitable as the Japanese population was starving to death. Additionally, there is significant evidence to support the argument that Japan would have surrended without use of the Atomic bomb, had the US been willing to safe guard the position of the Emperor. The Soviet Union received world from high-level Japanese sources confirming this, which, although many deny American knew about, Secretary of War Henry Stimson wrote ‘It was known to us that she had gone so far as to make tentative proposals to the soviet Government†¦not considered seriously’. However despite the aforementioned evidence suggesting that the Japanese were already defeated, it is arguable that that did not mean that they would surrender. throughout the war that, despite severe loss, they would rather die, than surrender. The invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa resulted in severe casualties, yet the Allies heard no talk of negotiations. Joseph C.Grew, who was the former Ambassador to Japan believed, through ‘intimate experience with the Japanese thinking and psychology over an extensive period’18 that regardless of military defeat, it would be highly unlikely that Japan would of their own initiative surrender. Additionally, Historian Barton Bernstein wrote ‘ no one who looks at intransigence of the Japanese militarists should have full confidence in any other strategy (apart from the A bomb), 19which affirms Truman’s decision that it was necessary in order to bring the war to a quick end. Furthermore, The American public was overwhelmingly behind the atomic bombing of Japan, with the bomb receiving an 85% approval 20rating, proving that within the context of the disaster, it was not considered to be as controversial as it is with the power of hindsight. From analysing the arguments for and against the US decision to drop the A bomb on Hiroshima it is clear that this controversial act of war is not easily declared right or wrong. However, arguably it is harder to argue on the side of the Allies when it comes to determining the necessity of the second bomb on Nagasaki. After the dropping of the first bomb, the Soviets declared war on Japan, which many historians believe would have been more than enough to convince the Japanese to surrender. As John W. Downer affirms in ‘Unconditional surrender at the Smithsonian’, ‘most Japanese accounts then and since weigh the soviet declaration of war as being at least as shocking as the Hiroshima bombing’. Further supported by Historian Gar Alperovitz, who believes that the shock of a soviet declaration of war would force Japan to realise defeat was inevitable and then clarification of surrender terms (assurance of the Emperor) would produce the surrender before an invasion took place. However, the US failed to hear a response in the delegated amount of time, and thusly, launched a second bomb on Nagasaki, resulting in the eventual surrender of Ja pan. When the US made their decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, initiating the nuclear arms race, it was inevitable that Truman’s decision would be analysed, causing controversy for years to come. There is a plethora of published work that strongly believes that the US decision to  employ the A bomb was a mistake, and was blatantly not necessary as Japan was so weak indicating that surrender was not far off. Additionally, it cannot be forgotten that the victims of the bomb were primarily innocent civilians, thus from a moral point of view, the action cannot be justified. However, Japans militaristic attitude throughout the war consistently affirmed the US belief that Japan would never surrender of their own accord, and the A bomb was a necessary action in order to conclude the war. From analysing both sides of the argument i believe that the US did need to drop the first bomb in order to display to Japan that they did not have any other option but to surrender, however, the dropping of the second bomb was definitely not needed. The bombing of Hiroshima, in conjunction with the entry of the Soviet Union was more than enough to force Japan to surrender, and thusly, the bombing of Nagasaki cannot be justified. Bibliography Books 1. A.Pollock, D.McKinlay, J.Cantwell, Conflict in the Pacific 1937-195, McGraw Hill Publications, Australia 2003. 2. H.Truman, Memoir: Year of Decisions, Garden City 1955 3. H.L.Stimson, M.Bundy, On Active Service in peace and War, Harper and Brothers, New York 1948 4. D.Eisenhower, The white house years: Mandate for change 1953-1956, Garden City 1963 5. W.D.Leahy, I was there, Whittlesey House, New York 1950 6. J.C.Grew, Turbulent Era: A diplomatic Record of forty years 1904-1945, Hougton Mifflin Company 1952 7. H.L.Stimson, The decision to use the Atomic Bomb, week 13 reading 8. K.Doak, Nationalism in Modern Japan, Koninklike 2007, 9. E.Cannizzaro, The Law of Treaties beyond the Vienna Convention, Oxford 10. E.P.Hoyt, University Press 2011,Japans war: The Great Pacific Conflic, Random House 1971 11. D.D.Wainstock, The Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb, Prager Publishers, 1996 12. G. Alperovitz, The Decision to drop the Bomb, Vintage Books 1996 Articles 1. Barton J. Bernstein, A post war myth, 50000 U.S lives saved, Bulliten of Atomic Scientists, vol 3 no.9 2. John W. Dower, Unconditional Surrender at the Smithsonian, Week 13 Reading 3. L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956 Website 1.The project of the Nuclear Age Peace foundation.org http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/ correspondence/stimson-henry/corr_stimson_1945-07-31.htm

Happiest Moment

Everyday I wake up feeling grumpy . It ‘s a brand new day , but I know nothing new will happen . It ‘s the same old school-house routine and I ‘ve grown tired of it . School can be really boring sometimes . Or maybe most of the time . One day , in one of our group works in school , an outreach program actually , we were asked to visit a home for street children . The group ‘s task was to conduct some sort of a peer tutorial session with the street children in subjects like math and science.We were to teach them just the basics — addition , subtraction , the human body . Stuff like that . In the process , we were also to observe their behavior and how they respond to us . I thought to myself , great . So I ‘ll spend my whole morning with a bunch of street kids . From what I know , street kids are mostly ill-mannered . What a waste of time , I know I won ‘t get anything from it anyway . I might even get into a fight with those kids . But still I went to the home just to comply with the school requirement . I almost dragged my feet when we entered the home.The home supervisor met us at the entrance and led us to a room which she called their play area . When we opened the door , about 20 kids gleefully greeted us , â€Å"Good morning , visitors ‘ I was surprised , and so were my group mates . I saw and felt the excitement of the children knowing that visitors were arriving in their home . Then they all sat down quietly , eager to listen to whatever we will be teaching them that day . My group mates and I introduced ourselves to the children and we started with the lessons right away.Good thing my group mates prepared some games that were related to the s we taught to the kids . I had so much fun , I even found myself cheering on the kids during the relay games . Time passed quickly that morning . Before we knew it , it was already time to go . As we were packing up our things , a kid approached me and said ,  "Thank you ‘ and hugged me tightly . She smiled to me then left to join the other kids who were already in the dining area having their lunch . It was my happiest moment.I ‘ve never appreciated school activities like that before , and I ‘ve never felt appreciated like that before either . Perhaps my grumpiness has always engulfed me . Since that day at the home , I started to notice things that I never minded noticing before . I observed that my mom always smiled at me while she ‘s preparing my breakfast , and that my classmates always greeted me whenever I see them . My teachers praise me when I get A ‘s in my tests . I realized there are so many beautiful things happening around me and I am surrounded with wonderful people . There are a lot†¦

The Blind Side and Pleasure

The film â€Å"The Blind Side†, is a very inspirational film. This film is a story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teenager from a broken home, taken in by the Tuohys', a wealthy white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Michael's presence in the Tuohy's lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, Michael faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Mike works hard and, with the help of his coach and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. The family received many things from accepting Mike. The Tuohy family received a pleasure out of adopting Michael, which could have been considered Hedonistic. The relationship between pleasure and goodness is also discussed. The Tuohy's decision to take in Mike shows a great deal of kindness. I think the kind of pleasure the Tuohy family got out of the adoption was love and happiness. Since when they welcomed Michael into their home, Michael brought the Tuohy family closer than they were before they had met Mike, which created more love within the family and between the Tuohy's and Michael. An example of when Mike brought the whole family closer was when it was Thanksgiving Day. The Tuohys' gathered around the television to watch football while eating Thanksgiving dinner but Michael went to the dinner table. When Leigh Anne realized that Michael sat down at the dinner table I think she felt this warmth inside herself, so she decided that the whole family should be eating dinner together at the dinner table. While the Tuohy family got closer they also allowed Mike feel the feeling of love they were feeling and eventually they adopted him. By the end of the film the pleasure the Tuohys' got out of the adoption was love and happiness because they saved a teenage boy's life, from whatever his future might have beheld for him if they hadn't met, whether it be from death or a terrifying lonely life. The term Hedonism refers to people whose sole pursuit in life is pleasure. John D. Rockfeller once said â€Å"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure. † I personally don't believe that one should spend their whole life pursuing pleasure because the satisfaction one receives from pleasure will be gone sooner or later, then they will find themselves running after pleasure again. But the Tuohys' pleasure to why they adopted Mike could be Hedonistic because the pleasure of love, being loved and giving love, can result in happiness and also the pleasure of happine ss; seeking happiness, could also result in happiness. And as long as they remember the life they changed, they would be forever satisfied. The Tuohys' had shown a great amount of pleasure and goodness. Goodness is the quality of being good and pleasure is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. I think the relationship between pleasure and goodness in the film is that one could lead to the fulfilment of the other. An example of this from The Blind Side was when the Tuohys' saw Michael walking down the street in a t-shirt and shorts while it was pouring rain. After Michael talked to Leigh Anne about where he was going to stay for the night she decided that he'll stay over at their house for the night not thinking twice about her decision. If others were in this position they wouldn't think twice about letting him into their home, let alone even ask him where he was headed. Because Leigh Anne performed a quality of goodness that one night, it created the pleasure of love and happiness. One act of goodness lead to a pleasure being fulfilled. In conclusion, in The Blind Side, The Tuohy family received the pleasure of love and happiness as an outcome of adopting Michael. And also the act of goodness can lead to the fulfillment of a pleasure; goodness and pleasure are interconnected. Lastly, the pleasures that the Tuohys' seek can be considered as Hedonistic. â€Å"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around† (Leo Buscaglia) is a quote of pleasure I very much agree with.

Hip Hop Event Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hip Hop Event Review - Essay Example This is the house where he launched his first album in 1963. In this program, Otis Sallid’s direction basically allows the different choreographers use their innovation and do their job. They might end up producing something extraordinary using effectively the remarkably multitalented dancers of Philadanco. The choreography of Mr. Sallid is like a â€Å"harmless fun†(Seibert, 2010). Amid those a couple of Soul Train Dance parties linking the vernacular steps which was invented as well as mixed and matched by Brown. According to the review of Seibert (2013), in this performance Sallid’s performance was straight-up simulation, where as Derick K. Grant does an inspiring replication of the departed celebrity of the show. Mr. Grant’s performance mainly his footwork reveals a source of Brown’s swiveling style. Another interesting part associated with this program is the solo of Akash Odedra. His program was more of a whirling blend of Kathak and contempor ary. Thang Dao’s part is a â€Å"tone-deaf display of balletic technique, clunky with references to Brown’s domestic abuse† (Seibert, 2013) Here Abdel Salaam’s role is more natural, and it expressed Brown’s racial political undertones quite bluntly yet incoherently. Review of Funk Box: The Funk Box drum machine is a new age fantastically developed a retro style drum machine which is loaded with most well known drum machine sounds from 70’s and 80s. ... FunkBox faithfully replicates a number of classic drum machine sounds, and can send the audience on a journey of past eras. Working with all these sounds not only brings back the old day’s memories but also help us to apply these old sounds in the modern age of digitization. Funk box helped to mix and merge the sounds of different instruments, and form new variation of classical sounds. It’s a darn good drum machine that allows us to make great drum loops with fantastic samples and make the modern times songs more eventful and enjoyable. Review of Toca Tuesdays: Among the new age hip hop music and dance Toca Tuesday is one of the most famous and much shouted for event. With the rocking background scores and use of high end music this is nothing but involving people for full enjoyment after long hard week of work. At the event there were spinning hip-hop, funk, reggae, house and many more to make it an eventful occasion. The synchronization among the participants is bein g excellent. The rhythm, the beats, sounds, environment all were simply co related to one another. After the origin of the hip hop culture in the late 70s, the music has gone through a number of changes as well as evolution. Toca Tuesday can be considered as one of the most latest of them all, which represent the culture and essence of hip hop music in collaboration of musical advancement with the presence of several different kinds of instruments as well as technology. But, despite all the development in the technology it is very clear that the hip hop culture is still remaining in the root where the essence is intact like the initial days. Experience of Hip Hop

FACILITIES, STADIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FACILITIES, STADIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example Expansion of the existing stadium of the Arsenal club was not possible because of the space crunch. Due to this there was a loss of total revenue. Hence construction of a much larger stadium was extremely required. Since Islington was very close to Highbury, Arsenal decided to move on to this location, which could afford around 60, 400 seats. The club had to first buy different lands to relocate Islington Council's recycling plant and Royal Mail Holloway Delivery Office earlier situated in the chosen location (Islington). This was a very expensive move for the club. The Emirates Airlines has signed a 100m sponsorship deal with the club. This is the reason why the stadium has been named Emirates Stadium. The name of the stadium will remain the same for at least 15 years because of this sponsorship. The club had arranged for loan from the stadium facilities banking group. The group consists of the biggest names of the banking sector of UK. One of the reasons why the club chose to build the stadium in this location is that it is geographically well located. A number of London Underground stations are within easy reach of the stadium. Holloway Road tube station is very close to the southern part of the stadium whereas the Arsenal Tube Station is situated close to the northern part of the stadium. ... location's geographic importance was most attractive for them because it was in an area with which the club has been associated since the past 91 years. So there was an emotional attachment to Islington, which worked in its favour. Arsenal's reputation is of having world's best playing surface. Islington's land statistics were attractive which was yet another geographic reason for choosing this area for the reputed stadium. Emirates - a multiple purpose stadium Apart from sports the Emirates Stadium is also involved in various other activities like organizing different top-level meetings, forums, seminars, conferences etc. at the stadium premises. The stadium has the planning permission to organise several single day events and up to 3 musical concerts in its premises. Government Policy The UK government's regeneration policies have changed the face of London. The construction of the Emirates Stadium can be related to these policies of the government. All efforts have been made to carry forward the regeneration work in accordance to the policies set by the government. Sports have always been a favourite activity of the people of United Kingdom. In comparison to all the sports, football (soccer) is the most popular game among the people of UK. The government policies are always directed to promote this game. The government's support in this project is an example of its pro sports policies. With the present government and its policies there is no doubt about the fact that sports will prosper even more in London. The construction of the Emirates Stadium is a fresh example of this. The stadium has been announced - no smoking zone, in the light of the no smoking policy in public places of the government of Great Britain. Through this the people are not allowed to

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Midterm - Essay Example Muslim piracy was also reduced, and economic activities revived along the western Mediterranean coast of the Christians (Crouzet 9-12). In addition, the western and central Europe was free from invasions by the nomads from central Asia that were dangerous to the survival of Europe's economy. Between the years 1236-1242, the Mongols raid of Europe brought destructions to economies in Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Silesia and most parts of the Balkans. In 1242, the Mongols extended eastwards and conquered China (Crouzet 9-12). The other factor that affected the European economy was the rise of feudalism, which was subsequently followed by feudal anarchy. There were frequent wars among the rivalry feudal leaders in Europe, which caused the destruction of European economy. Between the years 950-970, many fortifications were constructed to enhance the security of kingdoms under feudal leaders. Within the same years, the church contributed a lot to the safety of Europe through their peace move ments (Crouzet 9-12). Another factor that was crucial to the development of European economy was the rapid growth of the population since the thirteen century. This was caused by improvements in technology and increased agricultural productivity. The population growth acted as a crucial factor in spurring the commercial and urban revolutions in the 18th centuries. The population increase had considerable influence in Northern Europe. The population growth caused changes in the prices of commodities, which lead to the development of institutions for innovations (Crouzet 9-102). #2 The population of Europe increased tremendously between the years 1000-2000 because the rate fertility was higher than that of mortality. This resulted net population growth, in Europe. Population increased constantly and would only reduce drastically incase of catastrophes such as disease epidemics. The invasions on Europe had also ceased, and security prevailed in most regions of Europe. Also, between the 8th and 14th centuries, European epidemics had decreased and a warm climate prevailed in Europe, particularly the Alps region. The favorable climate improved agriculture activities, which led to better nutrition and improved standards of living (Crouzet 9-12). In the Carolingian times, the western Christendom developed values and a model of its population. In the whole of Europe, polygamy, the use of contraceptives, abortion, desertion of children and infanticide were abolished. The church supported monogamous marriage and enforced strict rules on polygamous marriage. The nuclear family in most nations grew stronger and became dominant with the exception of the Slavic people. The system of monogamous family encouraged acceptance of children and procreation. This system also regulated procreation before marriage. The effects were increased fertility rates and reduced death rates. However, the rate of infanticides and Juvenile mortality remained high though out Europe (Crouzet 9-12). The historical records show that the population in Europe increased from 1.1-1.2 million between years 1066-1086, 3.4-4.5 million people in 1340. However, France, Europe had a population of 15 million people in 950. In 1300, the population in Europe doubled. The population continued to increased but never exploded like that in third world countries in the late 20th century. The population in E