As an aside to this question of why the Europeans dominated the rest of the world and not vice versa - I’d forward the notion that there have essentially been only two REALLY significant developments in human history so far.
First: the introduction of agriculture, and second; the industrial revolution. (The modern world is evidence that the Europeans got to the second point first.) Once either of these came about, all bets were off as to where they’d lead us.
Clearly, human history can be broken down into more granular parts; the plough, mathematics, Christianity, the printing press, democracy, electricity, etc. But I’d venture that our existence boils down to the two questions of a) do you have enough to eat to survive?; and b) if you do have enough to eat to survive, then how’s your quality of life?
Then there’s the question of what’s the next great development, and I’d venture that it’s not the computer or the internet, but artificial intelligence, which should be along sometime in the 21st century. And, like the other two developments, I’d suggest that once it comes about, all bets are off as to where it will take us.
Martin Archer,
9.40 AM
Monday, November 27, 2000
mart@dazeofourlives.com
http://www.dazeofourlives.com