What is History?

This image shows a linear timeline.

History is a vast topic, and includes anything in the past, no matter how large or how trivial it is. History can be a broad topic, about the whole world, or can just look at one person’s daily routine. History is such an enormously vast topic, that it is hard to put into one category, or even to describe. Views on history vary; there is the linear view, in which there is a defined start and end to everything, and there is the cyclic view, in which all of history is a cycle, with no definite beginning or end. The Hegelian theory of history states that a thesis and antithesis combine to produce the synthesis, or basically cause and effect; every event will trigger something else. The final view on history is the vortex theory. History grows and shrinks, and grows and shrinks, as more or less events are occurring or repeat themselves. All of these theories have some light to them, but I believe that the cyclic theory is the most accurate. As stated above, history can be broad, including the whole world, or more focused, as on one person’s life. History in its entirety is cyclic. Major or worldly events reoccur, like wars. The saying “History repeats itself” really ties into this view of history. As events repeat themselves, like a cycle, we can learn from them. And not only can the Earth’s history as a whole repeat, but a person’s life routine repeats daily. One may, for example, wake up, eat, go to school, come home, do homework, eat, and go to bed, and this may be what they do every day. Going on an even larger scale than the Earth, planets have set cycles, or orbits, that they travel around over and over again. Almost every aspect of history can be determined cyclic, as there is no set beginning and end. Even if life as we know it changes, history will still live on, even if there is no one to record it.

The vortex theory of history is very close in definition to the cyclic theory of history. The vortex states that history grows larger and smaller as events occur and reoccur. The vortex theory is shown through civilizations rising and falling, and it is very similar to the cyclic theory through the repetition of events. However, the cyclic theory shows a definite cycle, and the vortex is more of a linear repetition. Though all theories of history are accurate to some degree, the cyclic theory definitely serves as the best representation. The Hegelian and linear theories of history portray certain aspects of history, but I do not believe that they could represent it entirely. The linear theory would be depicted as a timeline, and this is how many historians map out history, but it cannot show cycles. Timelines may be arrows, but supporters of this theory say that history started at one time, perhaps when the world began, and will end at some point. But even before the Earth, something was going on. Even if there was just blackness, one could say that “blackness” was the history of that time. Everything that the human mind can think of can be considered history. The Hegelian theory also can exhibit parts of history. It is true that every event is caused by another event, but I do not think that this is a good description of history as a whole. Obviously, it is difficult to pinpoint history into one theory, because in reality no one can fully know the dimensions of it.

Humans have only been on the Earth for so long. Before us, there were dinosaurs, and before that, nothing. Archeologists and historians study these things, but they can never truly know what was going on in those times. With history, anything is possible. We humans can only know what we have seen, but things could have occurred that we never even knew were possible. For example, many believe that the big bang is what created the Earth. But few have ever thought that maybe even this is a cycle, that once the world collapses, another big bang occurs, and then another. History is such an abstract term that our human minds cannot explore every corner of it, or even dream of fully understanding it. Human minds are incredible, but compared to how much knowledge is out there, they are nothing. The human mind is limited to knowing only what it has seen or experienced; it has troubled picturing any other things. Our human race will probably never know all the facts of history, but we need to continue building on and recording what we have today.

History is something we can learn from. It has shaped our world, as we have studied it and learned from our mistakes. Without history, we just simply would not exist. History can help us change and progress into a better world in the future. However, many parts of history are forgotten. Historians record major events, like wars, which involve a lot of people, but do not record the simple things. This does not make them any less important, but this is yet another example of how certain parts of history are not needed for or do not apply to everyone. Whatever the case, we will continue to make history, just as our ancestors did, and just as our descendents will continue to do.

Overall, history is everything that has happened, no matter how big or small, no matter who did it, no matter who it affected. History is cyclic; it has repeating cycles, including things like day-by-day life, orbiting planets, and maybe even more cycles that our human minds can comprehend. And although history is important, the phrase “let go of the past” does have some importance also. There is nothing we can do to change history, but we need to keep it in mind as we enjoy our lives and set out the history for future generations.

Websites Used:

"The Circle Theory: A Theory of Cyclic Existence." Scienceray | All That is Science, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics. Scienceray, 18 Oct. 2007. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .

Images From:

Extinction Timeline. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 13 July 2008. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .

Is Change Good Or Bad?

Change. It is something we all experience, and we all are affected by it, but is it good or bad? Before we can decide this, we must first define change and take a look at the circumstances in which the change occurs. There are many different philosophies and definitions that address change. These philosophies date back to ancient Chinese proverbs and range all the way up to today’s dictionary definitions.

There is an old Chinese proverb that states “When the winds of change blow, some build shields against the wind but others build wind mill.” This relates to one’s reaction to a change. The first part of this proverb is saying that some people just protect themselves from change. These people never allow themselves to have the new experiences that change would allow. Others “build wind mill”, states the second part of the proverb. These people embrace change and see to it that something good comes from the change.

A quote from the blog Real Life Preacher says “It’s [change] just the way of things. Nothing stays the same.” Change is just part of life and we should automatically know that it is going to happen; nothing stays the same. There is no need to fear change, to be embarrassed by change, or anything, because it is simply something that happens. Everyone goes through it at one time or another, and no matter how hard we try, most changes cannot be stopped and must occur eventually.

Once change has been defined, the next step to determine whether the change was good or bad is to understand the circumstances in which the change occurred. A single change could affect many people, but each in a different way. Sometimes changes occur quickly, some progress slowly over time. For example, our world is very different from when we began. Slavery that took place many years ago changed into discrimination against dark skinned people not too long ago. Finally, today we have a dark skinned president. These changes can be considered better, especially for dark skinned people, but there are some who still discriminate, and this change would not make them happy. Change has occurred before the beginning of everything; before there were people, or any life forms on this planet. That state eventually changed into what we have today.

Changes vary greatly; one example of change could never describe every change that has ever occurred. Every moment that passes holds a change, even if it is small. One moment you may be standing, the next you may be sitting. This is indeed a change. A change could also be that a new president is elected, which is pretty big. This would affect a whole nation, not just a single person. Changes can also vary by the way they come to be. Like in the example of sitting and standing, the person brings this change upon them self. In the other example, it is not always possible to get the exact president you vote for, so this change is out of one’s control. The truth is, change cannot be specifically pinpointed down as one thing; it is a very abstract concept, and when thought about, is very hard to grasp.

Change is a very personal topic. Each person asked to think about it can come up with a different view. Determining whether change as a whole is good or bad is a difficult task, as the topic is so vast. When a change occurs, one cannot immediately know whether it is good or bad. Either way, try to make the most of it, even if you don’t know what is coming. I believe that change itself is not good or bad; it is how the people react and adapt to the change that determines the “goodness” or “badness.” Change is just that; a change, something different. Despite this, I do believe that even though a change is what you make of it, changes can also help or hinder people. Take the agricultural revolution, for example. Much advancement was made, many changes, and afterwards people were much better off. When changes started occurring, people took advantage of them, and many improvements were made. Those changes could have been viewed as good or bad, depending on where you look at it. The farmers who improved their farming technology made well of the change, but for people who were not farmers, or lived elsewhere, this change could have been bad. People in the farming industry had a much easier job now, and farming became very important. People with other jobs have not made any new advancement, so this is bad for them. As in this example, change can be taken as either good or bad, depending on the person you are looking at. Change is neither good nor bad; it is simply something that passes.

The definition of change as found the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, says that to change is “to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution changed to spring>”. This philosophy could depict a change of seasons, or maybe a change in the weather. The dictionary also defines change as “to put on different clothes ”. Even something as simple as changing clothes is a difference. As you can see, the definition of change varies, even when it is from the same source.

Overall, change is basically a natural part of life. The way in which it affects people may be large or small, it can be different depending on the person, and it can be taken well or badly. Change has gone on forever, and will continue to be. If the world had never changed, none of us would be here, so we have got to be thankful for change, at least a little bit. We all undergo some forms of change, and if a person did not ever change, they could not exist, as Benjamin Franklin states in this quote: “When you are finished changing, you are finished.”

Websites Used:

• · McCarty, Don. "Change- Good or Bad". OSP Magazine . January 28, 2010 http://www.ospmag.com/issue/article/112008-McCarty.

• · Godin, Seth. "Change- Good or Bad." Web log post. The Engaging Brand Blog. The Engaging Brand, 16 Oct. 2006. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://theengagingbrand.typepad.com/the_engaging_brand_/2006/10/change_good_or_.html.

• · “Change Quotes - The Quotations Page." The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes. The Quotations Page, 3 Jan. 2004. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/change/.

• · "Change Quotes - Quotations and Famous Quotes on Change." Famous Quotes, Quotations and Proverbs in Proverbia.net. Proverbia.net, 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .

Images from:

• Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .
• Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .

Harappan Civilization

The Harappan civilization was one of the most developed civilizations of it's time, but still ended up falling. No one know for sure why this happened, but they decided that just because a civilization is on top does not mean that it is safe from everything. Harappa is located on modern day Pakistan.

Daily Question, 1-27

Which do you think is a better road map of history artifacts of the humanities(art music, dance, theater, literature, philosophy, architecture, etc) or political/military conflicts? Why?

I think artifacts of the humanities are better roadmaps of history. Cultures and styles change very often, even a little bit every day. Political and military conflicts have always happened throughout history. Technology and other advancements may be made, but this does not change as greatly as culture. The same ideas and feelings are still there. One can look at a picture of the popular clothing styles, for example, in different decades and can see a notable difference. If one looks at a picture of war or soldiers ten years ago, or thought about the way our country is governed, there would not be much of a difference. Also, the political and military aspects of a country more show the thoughts of the government, or maybe even the county as a whole. Cultural aspects can make a more detailed roadmap of countries, individual towns, or even individual people. Overall, if one evaluated history through the artifacts of humanity, they would get a much more detailed, accurate picture of what history is.

Images from:

• Ancient Pottery. 2008. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons. Comp. Heironymous Rowe. Wikipedia, 23 Sept. 2008. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .
• Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 3 Aug. 2008. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .

Website used:

• "Timeline of United States Military Operations." Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .

Ancient Europe

The Significance of the Rise of Agriculture

The rise of agriculture is very good for any civilization. When a civilization first begins, it struggles to feed all of the people. However, as they begin farming, life gets easier, and more food is produced. Once used to farming, the civilization may have more time to develop. More productive farming methods are created, and life gradually becomes simpler. Europe, for example, just began when a few farmers started to settle there. Later in development, they learn to clear the land to make more room for farming, and thus more food, and and also learned to create an ox drawn plow, making their job easier. Once farming becomes an easy task, the civilization slowly gains more money and time to develop other parts of their community. Overall, the rise of agriculture can do nothing but good for a growing community.

The Significance of Megaliths

Megaliths can be very important, especially in showing the culture and beliefs of a civilization. Depending on what type of statue or stone is put up, the viewer will see what the civilization thinks is important. For example, if a town put up a stone monument for their leader, it would show that they believe in respecting their leader and would like to honor him. In early Europe, they made large burial chambers, showing that they honor the dead. Monuments within a town or city are sort of an art form that expresses traditions. Although not necessary for life, megaliths are very important in preserving cultures.

My view on History

I believe that history in its entirety is cyclic. However, one person's entire life is not cyclic, because I do not believe in reincarnation, but their routine of a day may be cyclic. The history of one person's day could be waking up, going to school, doing homework, going to bed, and this may occur every day. History, however, never ends. Many events, take wars for example, have occurred more than once. Other events like this reoccur. History has gone back for ever, and never will end.

History Notes

• The first concept of history is that of history being linear.
• The second concept of history is cyclic history. Think of Buddhist reincarnation.
• In linear history, the first event is birth, and the last is death. In cyclical history, you could not tell which one comes first. Also, take for example the seasons. One cannot tell which one comes first, it is a cycle.
• Hegel did not think of either cyclic nor linear history-http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac_ADRi5NNLsZGNmMjN6ZmdfODZjMmc5dnhkNg&hl=en . Hegelian theory of history- Thesis+Antithesis=Synthesis. See completion of google doc below.

• Part II Event 3- John has to go the hospital.
• Part III Event 1- John has a cast. Event 2- The kids make fun of John. Event 3- John feels bad for chasing the kids in the first place and apologizes.
• The fourth theory of history is called The Vortex Theory of history. It gets big, and then small.
• William Butler Yeats was a poet. He saw the Vortex theory as an ongoing process that kept happening. History grows big, and then declines and falls.