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Many technological and scientific discoveries were lost never to be found for many centuries during the Middle Ages..
Is it still possible for the world to plunge into a new "Dark Age" in the next few centuries where most of the innovations in Science, Medicine, Technology, and even Government of the last 200-300 years are lost, possibly following a simultaneous decline of America, Europe and China.
The concept of the "Dark Ages" only applies to Europe after the fall of Rome. Meanwhile there were highly advanced civilizations elsewhere; for example China, the Incas, and the Moors. What we're seeing now is the rise of a multi-polar world with numerous centers of civilization. The locus of power has moved away from the U.S. and its military might. This does not mean the U.S. is in decline, rather the rest of the world is now matching the U.S. economic and political power. Overall this will lead to a more equitable balance of power, with a distribution that benefits most of the world's population. What remains to be addressed is the "crescent of instability" that runs through sub-Saharan Africa to the Arabic countries in SW Asia.
It's not so much that knowledge is lost as it is that it is no longer used, or replaced with something else. Look at all the magnificent Gothic cathedrals that were built during the Middle Ages.
It's not so much that knowledge is lost as it is that it is no longer used, or replaced with something else. Look at all the magnificent Gothic cathedrals that were built during the Middle Ages.
Actually they were built in a unique time, neither dark nor modern. The "Dark" ages immediatly follow the fall of Rome as it fell the the barbarian invaders. There was no secutity. People could be attacked at will by invaders or gangs. Society as they knew it fell apart and a generation after it was gone, the people alive didn't remember what it was like. They began, eventually, to develop into the Medieval world, with the system of decentrallized governing and serfdom and almost totally agricultural population centers.
The incredable cathederals actually came about in the late middle ages, after the plague and the beginnings of rebuilding with a reduced population. And they were *directly* drawn from writings of those which preceeded their age, read again. They were an expression of pride in the world being better and the resumption of opportunity and learning. Maybe it wasn't for a lot, but for a long time it had vanishied outside of monestaries.
If we lose the nuclear arms race, we could indeed have another dark age. It is about a civilization falling cataclismatically away. Most don't go that way but gradually. At some point people can see they are different but along the way nobody notices how much things have changed and broken down.
Thing is, EVERY civilization ends. It may do it gradually until its reduced to a shell of its memories, but generations got used to its fading before it was gone. Or it can go big and fast. But in the end the new ideal which grow out of the end of a civilization as people grow a new set of rules out of practical and workable ways becomes indoctrination, and it becomes inflexable and crumbles. It will with ours. Question is, where are we and what comes after?
From our subjective point of view as in the middle, we can't really answer that question.
Honestly, I think that we are entering a Dark Age; and have been for some time.
The level of education is declining; and I'm not speaking necessarily about technology, but about history, literature, the sciences, and the social sciences. What used to be an educational system that taught people how to learn, and to continue to learn throughout their lives, now teaches them according to a specific set of socially dogmatic rules. What used to be considered a complete education is now disdained for specifics and specialization - and only according to what has been done in the past 10-15 years. We are more concerned with how many days a student is absent than in what that student is learning when present. We are more concerned with the continuation and growth of bureaucracies and 'group-think' than we are about the individuality and individual expression. We are more passionate about what someone else has told us to think, than about what we ourselves have determined from information that we ourselves have gathered. We are more interested in owning the latest Crackberry than in understanding that communication isn't being used to educate, but to manipulate. Comprehension is cast aside for unsoundly-based opinion, and even 'news' reporters don't bother to ask "What do you think?" but instead "How do you feel?" No longer is science a process of forming a hypothesis, creating an experiment, and solving for "x"; instead, the "x" is given as a predetermined absolute and any experimentation that doesn't fit "x" is ignored. Try to formulate a hypothesis that goes against those who have pre-determined "x", prove through valid experimentation, accurate recordkeeping, and taking all results, good and bad, into account, that the predetermined "x" is actually a false premise, and you are vilified and ridiculed. It is more important to be a team player and do what you are told than to have innovation and creativity, and to 'follow a different drummer'. Independence and intellect are suspect. Self-determination is cast-aside for self-indulgence and self-righteousness.
The emotionally directed are all too easily manipulated into further ignorance, even convinced that ignorance is a goal to be pursued as long as one sings the party line more loudly than anyone else. Should the fiscal house of cards and self-indulgence come tumbling down, those who have been taught and believed all their lives that they are 'special' (for no particular reason or accomplishment) will turn to violence and extreme selfish aquisition, because they have been told for so long that they deserve it without any effort or input on their part The New Barbarians are on the rise, and they will lay waste to more than Rome.
Many technological and scientific discoveries were lost never to be found for many centuries during the Middle Ages..
Is it still possible for the world to plunge into a new "Dark Age" in the next few centuries where most of the innovations in Science, Medicine, Technology, and even Government of the last 200-300 years are lost, possibly following a simultaneous decline of America, Europe and China.
On a global level, short of a nuclear war or some other major catastrophe, I would not say there does appear to be a return to the Dark Ages.
From what I've read Germany and the Scandinavian countries are weathering the economic storm well. If they continue on their current trajectory, Brazil and especially east Asians nations like South Korea, Taiwan and especially China are poised to be major hubs of manufacturing, technological innovation and business.
That said, it does appear the US in particular is heading into a min-Dark Age, and it seems as though vast numbers of its population are perfectly happy about it.
The incredable cathederals actually came about in the late middle ages, after the plague and the beginnings of rebuilding with a reduced population.
Gothic cathedrals were being constructed a few hundred years before the plague. "Gothic" was used as a pejorative by later critics; "Gothic" means "barbarians".
The point being: we tend to judge the Middle Ages as a very horrible time. It must surely have been to the Romans, but not so to the "Barbarians".
The way this relates to this thread is that while it is true that the US has and will continue to suffer, the rest of the world has benefited greatly from the knowledge that the US (and Europe) has built up over the ages.
Honestly, I think that we are entering a Dark Age; and have been for some time.
The level of education is declining; and I'm not speaking necessarily about technology, but about history, literature, the sciences, and the social sciences. What used to be an educational system that taught people how to learn, and to continue to learn throughout their lives, now teaches them according to a specific set of socially dogmatic rules. What used to be considered a complete education is now disdained for specifics and specialization - and only according to what has been done in the past 10-15 years. We are more concerned with how many days a student is absent than in what that student is learning when present. We are more concerned with the continuation and growth of bureaucracies and 'group-think' than we are about the individuality and individual expression. We are more passionate about what someone else has told us to think, than about what we ourselves have determined from information that we ourselves have gathered. We are more interested in owning the latest Crackberry than in understanding that communication isn't being used to educate, but to manipulate. Comprehension is cast aside for unsoundly-based opinion, and even 'news' reporters don't bother to ask "What do you think?" but instead "How do you feel?" No longer is science a process of forming a hypothesis, creating an experiment, and solving for "x"; instead, the "x" is given as a predetermined absolute and any experimentation that doesn't fit "x" is ignored. Try to formulate a hypothesis that goes against those who have pre-determined "x", prove through valid experimentation, accurate recordkeeping, and taking all results, good and bad, into account, that the predetermined "x" is actually a false premise, and you are vilified and ridiculed. It is more important to be a team player and do what you are told than to have innovation and creativity, and to 'follow a different drummer'. Independence and intellect are suspect. Self-determination is cast-aside for self-indulgence and self-righteousness.
The emotionally directed are all too easily manipulated into further ignorance, even convinced that ignorance is a goal to be pursued as long as one sings the party line more loudly than anyone else. Should the fiscal house of cards and self-indulgence come tumbling down, those who have been taught and believed all their lives that they are 'special' (for no particular reason or accomplishment) will turn to violence and extreme selfish aquisition, because they have been told for so long that they deserve it without any effort or input on their part The New Barbarians are on the rise, and they will lay waste to more than Rome.
I STRONGLY agree with many of your points. As a young man I always wondered why all the things wrong in the world were not made right from the adults. Everyone appeared upset\sad by something in society and no one stood up, just continued to complain.
On a global level, short of a nuclear war or some other major catastrophe, I would not say there does appear to be a return to the Dark Ages.
From what I've read Germany and the Scandinavian countries are weathering the economic storm well. If they continue on their current trajectory, Brazil and especially east Asians nations like South Korea, Taiwan and especially China are poised to be major hubs of manufacturing, technological innovation and business.
That said, it does appear the US in particular is heading into a min-Dark Age, and it seems as though vast numbers of its population are perfectly happy about it.
Happy or would you mean Ignorant. I believe most people are ill informed or lead astray. Each of us are apart of the ignorance plague and we too are just happy with it. Otherwise we would do much more to enlighten others.
I believe most people are ill informed or lead astray.
And based on the current posts here, I believe the other posters would agree with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SPECFRCE
Each of us are apart of the ignorance plague and we too are just happy with it.
If I was happy about it, I wouldn't have made the post you just quoted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SPECFRCE
Otherwise we would do much more to enlighten others.
You sure don't know my posting history on these here forums.
Americans don't give a damn about being educated and enlightened, all they want is to be entertained and made to feel good.
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