Why is there "west" and "east"?

[Ellesarr]

That does not make any sense. Since world is a sphere, any part of the world is as much "west" as it is "east". There are no objective "western world".

Following your logic you might aswell say there is no such thing as left or right, its all a matter of perspective.

[S2omegaS2]

Because there is a north pole and south pole and when you look at your compass it made it easier if they had something to name the left and right side xP

[Deleted]

LOL Whut ?? Why is there North and South too Then ?? Stupis as Fuck..Jeez..Right and Left ?? Up and Down ?? Lolololololololloloololloloollololool.....

[Flame6]

The OP is being purposely being difficult. YES everyone does understand that there's no true west/east but we use those terms because they're useful even through they're wrong. Guess what? Nobody gives a damn.

[apepi]

Why don't you have a problem with north and south?

[Kargarok]

Why does this thread even exist...

[minteK917]

Why is there a North and south? and who it to say that our North and South is the correct way around?

Because we cant be wrong when we name things? Why is it planet earth, it can be wrong mabye its planet SHUBALABILUBLOULBOIU, well no its not because the planet didnt name itself. Same way the north and the south dont name themselves. Therefore there is nothing to be wrong/right about. Same reason we decide to name a place the west and another the east on a map. Because it does not matter we named it that, end of story. A chair is just a chair.

[GKLeatherCraft]

Cle: Hey, I totally trolled a forum out of boredom to argue about east and west.

Cle's friend: LOL

Cle: Then just before I got shot down I started talking about the most stupid shit for no reason like what the world should be like if it was flipped upside down.

Cle's friend: LOL you are too funny man, you're gonna make me pee my pants. Where's your bathroom dude?

Cle: It's to the west.

His friend never made it to the bathroom.

That is the single most funny comment I've read in relation to a thread, Awesome

[MathPraetor]

I flipped my left hand over one time and suddenly I had two right hands, it was the craziest most confusing thing. It actually sucked because I am left handed so it was really hard to write.

[Deleted]

So which direction do I have to face and turn before this isn't stupid?

[Wildtree]

What the "mainstream" believed was that the earth was spherical given that the "mainstream" consisted of the educated classes; aristocrats, clergy, scholars. The Earth was accepted as spherical by the "mainstream" by Alexander's time and by Alexander himself in all likeliness.

That's what I argue all along... The mainstream as in majority was not these groups of people. Educated classes have been an absolute minority.
Man, come on... Stop ignoring what actually ruled the World way up into medieval times... The Church.... Religion was the most powerful entity for the longest time in Europe..
And what does Religion say about the Earth?
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_flat_earth_claims

Good lord... What exactly is the big deal about someone saying not entirely true, indicating nothing else other than hey, it's a little more complicated than that.
Point of fact:
Educated classes have been a minority.
Scientists had it very difficult and were not seldom in danger to be charged with heresy, witchcraft or devils work
Scholars had to teach what their rulers dictated them to teach.
The common people (the absolute majority) weren't even free people. They had no education other than the skills to do what they are told to do.

So from there, we've raged wars with Asia, we've had trade established with Asia and India, before the myth was completely abolished.
Anyone arguing that, probably didn't pay enough attention in history class. Or never learned it. For which I have no clue what they teach in US schools in history. For my own part, I've learned it in either, homeland history and global history.

[Mihalik]

That does not make any sense. Since world is a sphere, any part of the world is as much "west" as it is "east". There are no objective "western world".

Actually Earth is an Oblate Spheroid.

And you are either a troll or a moron.

If you happen to be a moron. Here is some reading material for you.

Navigation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_direction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_coordinate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesi...rdinate_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_direction

Cultural

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_world

You know...History and stuff.

[Elegiac]

That's what I argue all along... The mainstream as in majority was not these groups of people. Educated classes have been an absolute minority.
Man, come on... Stop ignoring what actually ruled the World way up into medieval times... The Church.... Religion was the most powerful entity for the longest time in Europe..
And what does Religion say about the Earth?
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_flat_earth_claims

Good lord... What exactly is the big deal about someone saying not entirely true, indicating nothing else other than hey, it's a little more complicated than that.
Point of fact:
Educated classes have been a minority.
Scientists had it very difficult and were not seldom in danger to be charged with heresy, witchcraft or devils work
Scholars had to teach what their rulers dictated them to teach.
The common people (the absolute majority) weren't even free people. They had no education other than the skills to do what they are told to do.

So from there, we've raged wars with Asia, we've had trade established with Asia and India, before the myth was completely abolished.
Anyone arguing that, probably didn't pay enough attention in history class. Or never learned it. For which I have no clue what they teach in US schools in history. For my own part, I've learned it in either, homeland history and global history.

"What the Bible says" was not actually the Church's stance. You're also forgetting that for most of the Middle Ages the educated classes and the clergy were one and the same, and even for a long time after. Copernicus was a clergyman, Galileo was a member in good standing of the Church for a long time.

The Church used the cosmological model proposed by Aristotle who, among other things, held that the Earth was a sphere. Hence why you get lovely illuminated manuscripts with pictures like these:



If you want to be frank the myth has not been "completely abolished" in our present day. What counts is whether or not the people who -matter- accept something as the truth or fact.

[PACOX]

Depends on what you mean by "east" and "west". "east" and "west" are directions relative to "north". The hemispheres of Earth are divided along the Prime Meridian, what is to the left is the west, what is to right is east. I the US we tend to divide by the Mississippi River.

Big "West" and big "East" in a modern sense are heavily influenced by the Cold War and the Berlin Wall. Everything to the left was the "West", everything to the right "East". Australia being the exception.

[Kasierith]

As there is no productive conversation actually going on, I'm going to go ahead and close this.