Changes

Universal philosophies today have had the most impact in affecting our government systems. In Western states, which have been affected by Christianity, laws have been influenced by this faith. Governing styles, particularly kingship and later democracy, have been argued as justified by God. Similarly, Islamic countries have often seen the necessity of being ruled by a Muslim. Laws and institutions are often influenced by this religion in predominately Islamic countries. While clear differences in laws are evident in different universal societies, a commonality is universal religions and philosophies have been highly effective in creating common laws and social stability in societies, as greater order is required in all universal religions. The focus on orderly and moral societies emphasizes that governments should reflect the universal philosophy. The effect of this helped to create relatively larger political states in periods following the Roman Empire. Thus, even as Europe recovered from the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome, the power of the Church and religious belief helped to unify people around the figures of anointed kings. This was true in the Islamic world as well, as large empires and states ruled following the 7th century CE. Although the large empire initially created began to fragment, the successors were not many and states were large. In effect, rulers could claim lineage to the Prophet and, thus, a right to rule, allowing them to have authority over wide regions and people. This helped to transcend many of the cultural barriers evident in antiquity. While states in the Middle East in particular have fragmented in the last century, ethnic identities have reemerged recently. However, despite this fragmentation, the number of political entities is still far less than what was evident in antiquity, particularly before the 1st millennium BCE. The role of universal philosophies and religions continues to allow cultural groups to be socially and politically united, although this unity has begun to fray in more recent periods.