16 Questions
What is the feeling that people often experience in their private lives?
A sense of being trapped
What limits people's visions and powers?
Their immediate locales
What happens to a peasant when a society is industrialized?
They become a worker
What is the relationship between the life of an individual and the history of a society?
They are directly related
Why do people not usually define their troubles in terms of historical change and institutional contradiction?
Because they do not make the connection between their personal lives and societal changes
What is the result of a person being unaware of the intricate connection between their personal life and world history?
They do not understand the implications of historical events on their life
What happens when the rate of investment goes up or down?
A person becomes employed or unemployed
What do people usually attribute their well-being to?
Their personal achievements
What is the primary reason why people struggle to cope with their personal troubles?
They lack the quality of mind to grasp the interplay of individuals and society.
What is the significant historical fact that is now quickly becoming 'merely history'?
The fact that Americans have not known such catastrophic changes as have the men and women of other societies.
What is the result of the transformation of one sixth of humankind in a single generation?
The rise of new and less visible forms of imperialism.
What is the current state of democracy in the world?
It is restricted to a small portion of mankind.
What is happening to ancient ways of life in the underdeveloped world?
They are being broken up and replaced.
What is the current state of humanity in the world?
It is lying before us, with the supernation at either pole concentrating its efforts upon the preparation of World War Three.
What is the relationship between the shaping of history and the ability of people to orient themselves?
The shaping of history is outpacing the ability of people to orient themselves.
What is the current state of people's values in the world?
They are collapsing and newer beginnings are ambiguous.
Study Notes
The Sense of Being Trapped
- People feel trapped in their private lives, unable to overcome their troubles, and sense that their visions and powers are limited to their immediate surroundings.
- This feeling is often correct, and underlying it are impersonal changes in the structure of continent-wide societies.
The Impact of Societal Changes
- When a society is industrialized, a peasant becomes a worker, and a feudal lord is liquidated or becomes a businessman.
- Changes in class structure and investment rates affect individuals' employment and financial status.
- Wars transform people's lives, leading to changes in occupation, family, and social dynamics.
The Disconnection between Personal Troubles and Historical Change
- People do not usually define their troubles in terms of historical change and institutional contradiction.
- They do not attribute their well-being to the big ups and downs of the societies in which they live.
- Ordinary people are not aware of the connection between their personal lives and the course of world history.
The Interplay of Individuals and Society
- The quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of individuals and society is lacking in ordinary people.
- They cannot cope with their personal troubles in ways that control the structural transformations that usually lie behind them.
The Pace of Change
- In the current period, people are exposed to rapid changes at an unprecedented pace.
- One-sixth of humankind is being transformed from feudal and backward to modern, advanced, and fearful within a single generation.
The Impact of World History
- World history now affects every individual, with political colonies being freed, new forms of imperialism installed, and revolutions occurring.
- The rise and fall of totalitarian societies, capitalism, and formal democracy are all part of this complex landscape.
- Ancient ways of life are being broken up, and new demands are emerging in the underdeveloped world.
- The means of authority and violence are becoming total and bureaucratic in the overdeveloped world.
- Humanity itself is now a focus of coordinated and massive efforts, with the preparation of World War Three on the horizon.
The Shaping of History
- The shaping of history now outpaces people's ability to orient themselves in accordance with cherished values.
- Older ways of feeling and thinking have collapsed, and newer beginnings are ambiguous and uncertain.
This lesson explores the idea that people often feel trapped in their private lives, struggling to overcome everyday troubles. It discusses how people's visions and powers are limited to their close-up environments.
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