The human species, homo sapiens, evolved around 200,000 years ago on the African continent. Throughout the years, humans have undeniably changed in various aspects of their appearances and lifestyles through evolution. However, the homo sapiens species that existed 200,000 years ago is the same one that walks the streets of Manhattan today. Currently, the most popular dating system that is used almost worldwide is the Gregorian calendar. The years are divided into BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) in this system, also commonly referred to as BC (Before Christ) and AD (After Death). The religious influence on the structure of the dating system is apparent, which seems unnecessary in the increasingly secular world of today. Furthermore, it might be considered divisive, as it suggests the superiority of a particular religion, Christianity, over the rest.
One might argue that a more plausible dating system would be based on biological facts, such as the abovementioned first appearance of homo sapiens. Such a calendar would provide inalienability if adopted worldwide since it considers the human species as a whole rather than base itself on a particular group of people. For the people of the African continent, who reside on the land from which the rest of the world’s people have come from initially, it would mean honoring their home. Furthermore, this calendar could act as a uniting factor for all people since it would bring attention to the fact that all humans are the same species.
In today’s globalized world, it is crucial to provide the conditions necessary for effective communication. Hence, although plausible, it would not be efficient for the abovementioned calendar to only exist in Africa. The constant conversions between different calendars would be tedious and would strain international communication and trade. Instead, implementing the homo sapiens calendar in all countries around the world should be the preferred solution. Although it is almost impossible for something to be completely undisputable, there is, as mentioned above, a current global trend towards a secular life and a general acceptance of the theory of evolution. Hence, this system, based on science and humanity as a whole, could be a great idea.