History Revision Notes PDF

**SESSION 1 - HUMAN ORGANIZATION AND EVOLUTION** **I. Introduction to Earth\'s Timeline** - **Earth\'s Timeline**: - Earth is around halfway through its lifespan (10 billion years till the sun\'s end). - **Key Milestones**: - **Cambrian Period**: \~500 million ye...

**SESSION 1 - HUMAN ORGANIZATION AND EVOLUTION** **I. Introduction to Earth\'s Timeline** - **Earth\'s Timeline**: - Earth is around halfway through its lifespan (10 billion years till the sun\'s end). - **Key Milestones**: - **Cambrian Period**: \~500 million years ago, first shells and corals. - **Neolithic Era**: Start of agriculture, invention of writing (e.g., *The Epic of Gilgamesh*). - **Middle Ages**: First universities; predated Columbus\'s discovery of America (Vikings arrived earlier). **II. Human Organization(s) Over Time** - **Universal Patterns**: Similarities in ancient cave drawings across different regions (e.g., France, Indonesia) suggest a shared imagination and organization. - **Debate**: \"Organization(s)\" with or without \"s\"? It points to a shared structure but evolving practices. **III. Major Historical Milestones** - **From Hominids to Homo Sapiens**: - **7 million years**: Emergence of hominids. - **1.7 million years ago**: Migration out of Africa; development of bifacial cut stones as the first artifacts. - **\~800,000 years ago**: Mastery of fire---cognitive growth, innovation. - **\~10,000 years ago**: Agriculture begins in the Fertile Crescent, leading to settled societies and early civilizations. - **Global Changes**: - **1492**: Start of globalization with European colonization. - **18th Century**: Industrial Revolution reshapes society. - **1960s to Today**: Digital Revolution---data, AI, and interconnectedness. **IV. Human Nature and Evolution** - **Insatiable Curiosity** (Pascal Picq): - Innovation and adaptability are key traits. - **Heidegger\'s Concept**: Humans as \"world configurators\"---we shape and interpret the world. - **Homo Sapiens vs. Homo Spiritualis**: Debate between wisdom and spiritual capacities (Jean Clottes). - **Role of Imagination**: - Human imagination led to the creation of myths, spirituality, burial practices, and early religions. - Cultural evolution has made humans more diverse over time, but globalization challenges this. **V. Key Concepts: Nature vs. Culture** - **Biology vs. Psychism**: Less than 0.1-0.2% genetic difference between humans, yet vast cultural differences---a paradox. - **Cultural Divergence**: Glacial periods and geographical dispersion led to different societies and cultural practices. - **Globalization\'s Impact**: It brings different cultures closer, yet also creates tension between maintaining unique traditions and integrating into a global system. **Conclusion**: - **Subjectivity**: Our perception of the world is shaped by personal experiences and cultural backgrounds. - **Paradox**: Biological similarity vs. cultural diversity---globalization may reverse centuries of cultural divergence. **SESSION 2 - SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS** **I. TODAY\'S SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS** - **Cultural Diversity**: - Adaptability, innovation, and global dispersion create diverse societies. - **Paradox**: \