Philosophy of Society

Philosophy of Culture

Periodization of Culture

Culture has existed as long as humanity itself, encompassing all the accumulated knowledge and achievements of humankind throughout history. As a dynamic entity, culture can be periodized and analyzed based on distinct epochs. In history, archaeology, and cultural studies, a tradition has emerged to divide periods of human culture based on the primary materials from which tools were crafted. The earliest humans used stone to create their tools, leading to the designation of the era as the Stone Age. When people began to use bronze, this period was termed the Bronze Age. The era when iron was mastered is known as the Iron Age. Thus, human cultural history is divided into three principal periods: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. This classification, initiated in the 19th century by Danish archaeologist Christian Jürgensen Thomsen (1788-1865), reflects the varying durations of these periods, with the Stone Age encompassing 99% of human history and the Bronze and Iron Ages together constituting just 1%. Despite their brevity, the Bronze and Iron Ages have seen more dynamic cultural development than the preceding Stone Age, which explains the disproportionate focus on these later periods in cultural history textbooks. Additionally, global population growth has been dramatic: from approximately 40 million during the mid-Neolithic period to around 230 million at the time of Christ’s birth, about 440 million in 1500, approximately 952 million in 1800, 1.6 billion in 1900, and six billion by 2000. If current trends persist, Earth's population is projected to reach nearly nine billion by 2050.

For Europeans, their cultural history holds particular significance, and therefore, its study receives substantial attention within European scholarly traditions. European culture is traditionally divided into several periods. The earliest is Antiquity, spanning from around 600 BCE, marking the beginning of the first Mediterranean civilizations, to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The subsequent period, the Middle Ages, extended from the mid-first millennium to the mid-second millennium. Dominant artistic styles of the Middle Ages were Romanesque and Gothic. The Renaissance followed, characterized by a revival of classical cultural heritage. From the 15th to the end of the 19th century, Europe experienced the Modern Age, notable for its significant artistic styles including Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism. The 20th century is marked by a wide array of artistic styles.