The Revolutionary Progress of Human History

The Revolutionary Progress of Human History series presented by Sarah Hodgson was a huge hit!  The information was fascinating and Sarah's flawless delivery made the programs extremely enjoyable. 

Human history can be viewed as a long experiment filled with trial, error, and revision aimed at fostering perpetual progress. Even the definition of progress has undergone this process of experimentation; at times it has been chiefly aimed at a raised standard of living or expansion of commerce at other moments in history it has been defined by an expansion of human freedom or the notion of equality. Many of these experiments have resulted in chaos as a society sought to completely remake it self; often with unintended consequences.  Each of these experiments has changed human life and interaction on all levels and in all areas of society. Due to this total upheaval we have dubbed these experiments revolutionary. 

This lecture series explored the nature, purpose, and outcome of the significant revolutions in human history while exploring the notion of progress and asking if it can be achieved without this messy upheaval. The series started with the Neolithic Revolution and moved on through time to cover The Axial Age, The Enlightenment, The French Revolution, The Industrial Revolution, The Meiji Restoration, The Russian Revolution, Indian Independence, Communist China and ended with 1989 a year full of explosive and far reaching changes as nations around the world struggled with the removal of communist control in Eastern Europe, continued efforts at decolonization in Africa, challenges to authority around the world, and the death throes of a superpower.  This year also saw key technological developments that ushered in the technological revolution we are currently experiencing.