Brin, Globalization and Capitalism

1.)The idea of Brin’s four worldviews states that the world is always keeping the enemy at bay and is always in attack mode for whatever harm may come their way. It also stresses the idea of “patriotism” in the sense that Brin believes that the world sees tradition as an important worldwide view and that one should never turn their cheek to their brother. Another view stressed in Brin’s theory covers the fact that without authority and boundaries, the world would be destructive; therefore one should obey the cultural limitations set by their higher powers. And although deviance is seen as a flight against authority, Brin recognizes that each century will see a group of individuals who will question authority and go against the “rules” laid down by cultural societies. These four worldviews hold true to a lot of American ideals and many other countries.
In Before European Hegemony, Abu-Lughod takes the idea of worldviews and places them into a means of trade in the thirteenth century. “No world system is global, in the sense that all parts articulate evenly with one another…” (32) Abu- Lughod answers our class’s question perfectly. Even now not all countries cohort with each other within the trade community, but during the thirteenth century the Mongol Empire was as worldwide as the time allowed. In the thirteenth century, means of transportation was not as developed as it is today causing trade to be limited to areas within closer proximities. However, the Mongol Empire was global within the confines its area; spanning from Asia to Europe.
2.)The trade that was made between the countries show a major form of capitalism, in the fact that luxuries were the main necessities in trades, because many of the countries (China mainly) could sustain the necessities needed to live by their own means and did not require the need of the other countries. Much like trade today, many of the “items” being imported and exported through countries are mainly for improving the living styles of the world. As Abu-Lughod stated economic integration and cultural discoveries furthered development in countries in the thirteenth century and are also developing our world today. However, in my own opinion many of the world today has changed the concept of the luxury trade and has made the technological advances, that were once luxuries to the traders of the Mongol Empire, into necessities. Many forms of transportation that are being traded between many core countries are items that many of the population would believe to be necessities in their lives. While this statement may seem very obvious to most, I find the growing differences between the centuries’ ideals fascinating.
3.) A point in Brin’s four worldviews that I think that needs pointed out is the fact that “Dogma of Otherness” is an important factor in the world; people need to question authority in order for authority to grow and develop. Many of the population find these “miscreants” to be deviant, but looking throughout history many of these individuals have shaped and changed our culture and society.