A new secular calendar?

The fact is that history is being revealed everyday by new researches and discoveries, maybe the discovery of the Americas was an important event some hundreds years ago but we already know many things about the peoples who lived there thousands years before the European discovery, even there are claims of prior discoveries, so it can't be considered as a very important event in the history, I think we need an older date, it can be interesting to read what Hegel says: http://www.suite101.com/content/hegels-world-spirit-and-individual-freedom-a102924

maybe the discovery of the Americas was an important event some hundreds years ago but we already know many things about the peoples who lived there thousands years before the European discovery, even there are claims of prior discoveries, so it can't be considered as a very important event in the history,

I was distinctly trying to avoid the word 'discovery', because we know it to be a Eurocentric term and inaccurate. In any case, I'm not satisfied with this response cause I feel it doesn't get to the heart of my argument. To make my self clear, I am not vouching for the 'discovery' as much as I am for the date as being useful as marking an end to a 'regional world' and the beginning of a more globalized one. Hereafter, major events shaped many, many more people's lives than they ever did before. It is a event that is excellently representational of the processes that affected everyone on the globe, more or less, within the decades and centuries following.

Americas: Saw a vast number of societies collapse or thrown into chaos. The continent was invaded by germs, domesticated animals, and numerous other flora and fauna which forever altered the continent's ecosystem. The demographic also shifted as large numbers of people from Europe and Africa eventually displaced many native inhabitants.

Europe: Europe would experience a brief rise in unprecedented power, wealth, and influence over the world stage. This was accompanied by the replacement of traditional ruling authorities. Much more importantly, Europe's position allowed it to preside over the industrial revolution, resulting in dramatic population increases (first for Europe, then for the rest of the world). Europe also participated in the Colombian Exchange, receiving plants and animals that would forever alter its ecology.

Africa: In addition to participating in the Colombian Exchange, Africa would, like the Americas, experience traumatic collapse of societies followed by the creation of new ones. East and North Africa would lose their economic position and a vast amount of wealth. West and South Africa would experience tremendous social turmoil and depopulation. In the long term, however, Africa would experience population increases and the corresponding greater exploitation of the land.

Asia: The Colombian Exchange and temporary rise in European power would have both long and short term effects on the continent. Traditionally ahead of Europe in terms of technology and wealth, Asia would experience upheavals, loss of wealth, and the collapse of societies. Asia would also see dramatic population increases over the long term.

Austrailia: Similar to America, native societies would experience severe upheavals with the arrival of Europeans as well as the extinction or depopulation of native life forms accompanied by the invasion of new species.

I think we need an older date, it can be interesting to read what Hegel says:

I agree an older date would be preferable. However, there are these problems:
1) Lack of exact dating.
2) The 'regional' nature of events (for example, the collapse of the Roman Empire was very important in Europe, but considerably less important in Asia and Africa, and of practically no importance to the Americas and Australia. Or, in another example, agriculture evolved in several places in isolation, making a rough date for the first development of agriculture to be inherently regional)

As far as Hegal goes, I feel his organization of history is too based on philosophical concepts and not enough on historical or archaeological ones. I also feel it is too restricted to provide an accurate measure on which to gauge the entire range of historical experience.

Perhaps making an an astronomical event the "0" year would be more nueteral.

 

Yeah, I've thought about that. Not sure what to choose though. Perhaps if it had a regular reappearance, human history could be divided into ages. It would seem rather arbitrary though. Though I'm beginning to expect any "0" year date may come out that way some how.



Edited by ConradWeiser - 10-Oct-2010 at 20:48