Question

What are the impacts of print culture. - 5marks

Answer 1

With time, a new culture emerged and access to books made people adopt the reading culture. But with this several debates were put forward related to the fear of the spread of rebellious and irreligious thoughts. In 1517, the religious reformer Martin Luther wrote ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ which criticized various practices of the Roman Catholic Church. This lead to Protestant Reformation.

Because of the reading culture, the literacy rate of the countries increased to 60-80%. Newspapers and Journals got fame and information were carried about wars and trade as well as news of developments in other places. This included French revolution too.

Answer 2

Impact of the print revolution in Europe during the 15th and 16th century:

(i) Printing reduced the cost of books.

(ii) The time and labour required to produce each book came down, multiple copies could be produced with greater ease.

(iii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever growing readership.

(iv) Publishers started publishing popular ballads folk tales with beautiful pictures and illustrations.

(v) Knowledge was transferred orally.

(vi) Print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas and introduced a new world of debate and discussion.

(vii) Even those who disagreed with established authorities, could now print and circulate their ideas. e.g., Martin Luther was a German monk, priest, professor and church reformer. He challenged the Church to debate his ideas.

(viii) This led to division within the Church and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

(ix) Print and popular religious literature stimulated many distinctive individual interpretations of faith even among little-educated working people.

(x) In the sixteenth century, Menocchio, a miller in Italy, reinterpreted the message of the Bible and formulated a view of God and Creation that enraged the Roman Catholic Church.