The first 4 chapters of Hobsbawm's book "The Age of Empire" set the stage for the years between 1875 and 1914. The first chapter on "The Centarian Revolution" highlights how far the world came following the American and French Revolutions of the 1700's. Chapter 2 discusses how the importance of the economy shaped the era. Both industrial and agrarian production skyrocketed creating a world based on wealth and the rise and fall of economic cycles. Chapter 3 focuses on the core countries of the time trying to gain footholds on the global stage. They did this through aggressive imperialism. The motivations behind imperialism are identified and discussed and include religious, economical, and political reasons, all of which carry serious weight. Chapter 4 goes on to talk about democracy and its difficulties. Remember, global democracy was very young at this point and many countries were skeptical of its effectiveness. Capitalism, also young at the time, is also described and in doing so Hobsbawn sets the stage to later talk about the rise of socialism and communism.
What interests me most actually comes very early in the reading on page 26. Here is the quote I am referring to. "It seemed hardly credible... that a bare two centuries ago there could be a serious debate about whether the moderns could ever surpass the achievements of the ancients, and that at the end of the 18th century experts could have doubted whether the population of Britain was increasing." It seems that people at the time were oblivious of the technology that was to come. They based everything on old rates of technological change, and the abrupt escalation of technology and population really hit them unexpectedly.
This ignorance of impending technological advances seems to be seen at all times in history, even today. How many people could have foreseen the effect of the internet of the world just 15 years ago? I think we'll be more and more stunned at what technology affords us. It's not ridiculous to say that by 2020 the world will not resemble today in the slightest. Technology moves so swiftly, I don't think we ever account for its speed properly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with your technology stand point. the world today is not the same as it was 5 years ago and no one could have imagined this. Imagine everything we can do with the Iphone and the droid. Another ten years who knows what we are going to be able to do. We are extremely spoiled with technology
ReplyDeleteI agree that you raised an interesting point about technological advances. Our 21st technologically laden mindset can see how the 18th century mindsets on technological advances seems odd but I guess I can understand why people two centuries ago could not fathom a different rate in technological change. If you are used to a certain aspect, you might assume that aspect will simply remain as such. Like Patrick mentions, the world today is different than it was just five years ago. Even two years ago. (I also agree that we are quite spoiled with technology!) In 15 years, this will all seem so antiquated.
ReplyDelete