Summary
This work argues that the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries represented a political pause, an interregnum characterized by divided nationalities and the absence of a unifying idea, despite growing prosperity and the enlarged human resources from sixteenth-century geographical discoveries. This period, culminating in the eighteenth century, saw provisional political forms and unstable securities, with European minds obsessed by the mythology of competing "Powers." While contemporary thinkers saw the world undramatically, seeking trite happiness and milder virtues, the underlying knowledge of a universal brotherhood and a divine, impartial Father was present, offering the potential for peace.
The text posits that the failure of medieval creative ideas left human thought temporarily destitute of guidance, leading to an age of assimilation and recuperation before a wider human effort. This period's political literature was dominated by the phraseology of "Powers," reflecting an idealization of governments and foreign offices. Despite this fragmentation, the progress of arts and agriculture, evidenced by the establishment of Christian kingdoms and the expansion of empires like Russia, suggests a shift towards civilization and stability, with new assailants no longer issuing from the North.
Key concepts
- Age of division — A historical period marked by separated nationalities and the absence of a ruling unifying idea.
- Interregnum in the progress of mankind towards a worldwide unity — A pause or interruption in humanity's movement toward global cohesion.
- Mythology of "Powers" — The obsessive idealization of governments and foreign offices, influencing European thought and literature.
- Political pause — A period of assimilation and recuperation in political development.
- Rule of the shorter term — A copyright principle that applies the shortest term of protection to foreign works.
- Thirty Years War — A devastating conflict that Central Europe recovered from during the interregnum period.
From the book
Title: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Title: The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Popular questions readers ask
- Given the immense scope of H.G. Wells' "The Outline of History," from "The Record of the Rocks" to "The Unification of the World," how would you explain his definition of "history" and why he felt it was necessary to begin a history of mankind with geological and biological eras?
- Examine the progression of chapter titles from "The Neanderthal Men" to "The First Civilizations." What implicit arguments or connections about human development and societal formation is Wells making through this sequence, and how might he simplify these complex transitions for a "plain history"?
- H.G. Wells engaged a team of advisors with diverse expertise. Based solely on the provided table of contents, identify at least three distinct types of knowledge or academic disciplines that would be essential to cover the breadth of topics, and explain how the inclusion of advisors like Sir E. Ray Lankester and Professor Gilbert Murray contributes to the credibility and comprehensive nature of this "Outline."
- Published in 1920, the book concludes with "The International Catastrophe of 1914" and speculates on "The Struggle for the Unification of the World." How might the experience of World War I (the "catastrophe") have shaped Wells' perspective on earlier historical events and his vision for humanity's future, as implied by the chapter titles?
- Chapters like "Early Thought," "The Races of Mankind," and "Science and Religion at Alexandria" deal with highly complex and often contentious concepts. Without reading the text, what challenges do you anticipate Wells faced in presenting these topics as part of a "Plain History of Life and Mankind," and how might he have simplified them to maintain a coherent narrative aimed at global unification?