#Change11

CULTURAL EVOLUTION Toward the 4th Renaissance...

Prof. Pierre Lvy, FRSC, CRC

Five invention stages, or layers , in human history

Paleolithic Neolithic Classic Modern Contemporary from 300 000 from 10 000 from 800 from + 1500 from + 2000

Understanding Cultural Evolution

Every stage contains and assumes the preceding. A major invention is never un-invented Each actual cognitive-social-cultural form is an original mix / reinterpretation of basic major inventions. Cultural evolution is continuous, non-linear and surprising.

Symbolic Cognition

Symbols transformed by massively distributed nanoautomata. Digital medium.
Symbols reproduced and transmitted by industrial machines. Printing press, electronic media.

Small group of ciphered symbols. Alphabets, money, indian numerals, I-Ching...

Permanent symbols manipulated by static tools. Writing systems.

Transient symbols manipulated by biological human functions and rst tools. Spoken language, music, danse, images...

Knowledge

Mathematical experimental techno-sciences of culture (symbolic cognition). Reexive collective intelligence.
Mathematical experimental techno-sciences of (material) nature. Emergence of human pre-sciences from decomposition of philosophy and theology.
Open questionning. Universal horizon. Knowledge deduced from rst principles (demonstration). Metaphysics. Emergence of rational cosmology and natural pre-sciences.
Art of interpretation (texts, oracles...). Sacred arts. Literature. Systematic written knowledge: mathematics, astrology, alchemy, medicine, architecture...
Oral knowledge embedded in myths, rituals, tools.

School

Social pedagogy. Life-long open collaborative learning. Distributed, interconnected and reexive research on human sciences. Knowledge commons institutions.
Mass pedagogy. National history, literature and arts. Adaptation to the needs of industry and nation-state. Learning of natural sciences. State institutions.
Elite universalist pedagogy. Critical thinking. Meditation on virtues. Study of classics. Theologico-political training. Grammar, dialectic, rhetoric. Academic, monastic, clerical institutions.
Cast pedagogy. Repetitive scholarly exercices. Strict discipline. Computing, writing, reading, understanding, wisdom. primary school. Temple institutions.
Emotional and social intelligence. Identication, imitation, habits.

Economy

Knowledge economy. Researchers, innovators and learners in stigmergic communication
Industry. Engineers, blue collars

Monetary economy. Merchants, craftsmen

Agriculture. Shepherds, farmers.

Direct predation. Hunters, gatherers

Capital: Reproduction source

Work: Service to the source

Political framework

Hypermedia, transparent, global public sphere. Network of innovative mega-cities. Legitimation by collective intelligence. Power of creative civilized conversations.
Homogeneous public sphere. Modern democracies. Human rights. Legitimation by people and ideology. Totalitarianism. National power.
Magistrates, civil administrators. Citizenship. Classic democracy / republic. Aristocratic legitimation. Great empires. Power of literati.
King-priests. Palace-temples. Calendars, history. Frontiers, districts. Tribunals. Divine legitimation. Power of scribes.
Families and clans. Chiefs. Power of wariors and shamans.

Domination

Surveillance and real-time management of multivariate complex human networks. Inuence. Recycling of dissidence and diversity.
Authoritarian mandatory institutions for all the people: schools, factories, armies, hospitals, camps. One-way media and mass propaganda. Homogenized people.
Universal pretense. Colonization. Large scale slavery. Homogenized elites.
Armed bureaucracy. Taxes. Forced sedentariness. Serfdom.

Nomad warrior organization. Razzia, abduction.

Religion

Convergence of traditions. Creative syncretism. Religious symbols and rituals understood as traditional mind-guiding tools.
Non-mediated understanding of sacred texts and relation with divinity. Worldly historical salvation. Materialist ideologies.
Personal salvation. Symbolization of sacrice. Non-idolatry. Universalism. Alphabetic sacred texts. From prophets to sages, saints and monks
Temples. Complex calendars. Theology. Priests. Oracles. Divination. Hermeneutics.
Heroic archetypes. Initiation. Ritual. Sacrice. Ancestors cult. Shamans.

Paleolithic 300 000 Augmented cognition Knowledge Language

Neolithic 10 000 Ideograms

Classic 800 Digits

Modern + 1 500 Types

Contempor. + 2 000 Bits

Narration

Hermeneutics

Philosophy

Natural science Compulsory

Human science Social

School

Life

Scribes

Liberal

Economy

Predation

Farming

Money

Industry

Knowledge

Political frame Domination machine Religion

Tribes

Civilisations

Cities

Nation-states

Networks in Hypercortex Control

War

State

Empire

Discipline

Animism

Polytheism

Mono/nontheism

Reformation

Oriental 11 metaphysics

Evolution of the Mediasphere

(From 2000) Ubiquity, interconnection and automatic manipulation of symbols. Massively distributed social computing. Knowledge economy.
(From1500) Massive mechanical reproduction distribution of messages. New languages (movies, etc.) Progress of scientic notations. Industrial economy.
(From 1000) Universalization and digitalization of writing reduced to + / 30 signs. Notation of numbers by position, zero. Money, trade.
(From 3000) Autonomous technical memory of language. Ideographic signs. Arithmetics, measurement units. Agriculture, livestock breeding.
(From 300 000) myths, rites, oral transmission. Direct predation.