The Beginning of Modern World Based on Science and Technology Essay

Using science and technology as the measure, when did the modern world begin?

This paper examines how the world evolved to become modern. The paper concludes that the scientific and technological developments witnessed over the centuries have played a significant role in the shaping the modern world. The essay begins by a synopsis of what existed prior to modern (pre-1500 CE) and the series of events that paved way for the conception of the modern world.

Introduction

Modern is a terminology that is understood to denote present or contemporary. There is no specific year as to when the modern world can be cited to have started. However, history scholars, especially those studying European history, hold that the modern world must have begun around 1500 CE. In addition, there is agreement that the scientific and technological developments witnessed from 1500 onwards (especially the18th centuries technological and scientific developments) shaped the face of the modern world.

Discussion

According to Hepp (2012, p.105-109), the relationship that exists between science, technology, and culture can be regarded as shaping what is considered as “modern” regarding the modern world. The outstanding sole difference between the post-1500 (modern) world and the period before does not hinge on the broad array of technology available in the modern world; the developments during that period shaped the whole attitude towards scientific and technological change.

The scientific and technological changes witnessed in the late 17th, and the 18th century, in particular, helped to created not just the physical world, but also shaped the mental physical world view via which individuals construct their physical world.

Why use science and technology as a measure?

Science and technology have largely contributed to the shaping of the modern world. Going by John Hepp’s simple definition, science is largely about ideas and technology is about stuff created out of those ideas (Hepp 2012, p. 105-109). If science and technology are to be used in measuring when the modern world began, it would mean that the present day world is as a result of many ideas that have led to inventions of the gadgets that people use today and which make the world modern (Fernandez-Armesto, 2009).

For instance, the present means and modes of transport and communication, despite being remarkably different from what existed in the pre 1500 CE, are shaped by the technological and scientific developments witnessed over the centuries. People can now enjoy discoveries such as electricity, thanks to the ideas of people like William Gilbert and others such as Thomas Edison (Fernandez-Armesto, 2009).

Similarly, the printing machines that people utilize today have come a long way; they date back to 1450 when Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press and the movable type system.

The utilities enjoyed in the modern world such as cell phones, computers and the internet can be credited to the work of scholars such as Charles Babbage, who was the first to conceive the idea in the 1830s. Other brilliant ideas and scientific experiments by people like Tim Berners-Lee have continued to shape and inform the modern world (Fernandez-Armesto, 2009).

State of the world in the pre-1500 CE

There was no serious science in the pre 1500 CE, but many scientific ideas emerged in the post 1500 when people started appreciating and using science in solving most of the world problems. This confirms that the modern world, which is largely built on science and technology, began around 1500 (Hepp 2012, p.105-109).

The 14th and 17th centuries, commonly referred by historians as the renaissance, witnessed the emergence of humanists, who believed that the right way to think was to involve appreciation of God’s creation. The discoveries of those periods such as the printing press enabled philosophers and even religious leaders to print and publish their works. By 1700, most people had started appreciating the co-existence of science and religion and, since then, the two have been used to back up each other (Hepp 2012, p. 105-109).

Historical events leading to the creation of the modern world

Scholars believe that significant scientific revolutions occurred between 1500 and 1700, starting with the work of Nicholas Copernicus (1473 -1543) who argued that the sun and the Earth were at the center of the universe. John Hepp holds that the scientific revolution period ended with the works of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) who formulated the universal laws (Hepp 2012, p. 105-109).

The works of Nicholas Copernicus and Isaac Newton among others were evidence of science in action. There was a shift from reliance on religion for everything to use of science in explaining the world and trying to solving worldly problems.

Since the 17th century, scientific methods have continued to characterize descriptions on the modern world and what the world can become in the future. As much as they maintained respect for religion and religious views, intellectuals began to focus exceedingly more on science than religion in their quest to understand the world (Fernandez-Armesto, 2009).

It would not be erroneous to conclude that the modern world began somewhere around 1500. This is because before this time, religion was extreme and the scientific ways of thinking and doing things were still in the realization stages. Historians believe that significant scientific revolutions occurred between 1500 and 1700, and it laid the foundation for the creation of the contemporary world. Scientific methods began to form the basis of explanations about the world (Fernandez-Armesto, 2009).

18^th Century: The “Golden” Age of Science and Technology?

Britain’s Experience

Britain emerged as a formidable trading nation within the world, propelling both social and economic revolution during the 18th century. Since late 18th century, the industrialization process came before the expansion, as well the massive growth that was to be later witnessed in the 19^th Century. Critical to these developments was the successful establishment and application of steam technology in mining, manufacturing, rail, and shipping industries.

Before 1800, entrepreneurs as well as engineers such as Matthew Boulton James Watt had attempted to make steam power a reality. As a result, this technology significantly improved Britain’s core industries such as mining of coal, production of iron, and manufacturing industry. Fuelled by the advancement of industrial technologies, Britain was able to make significant and rapid expansion within the international market (Atterbury, 2011).

The advancement in the electric telegraph was essential; it helped in development of the railway. The discovery of communication that resulted from electricity took place during the 18th century. Advancements in electromagnetism, which began in 1820s, contributed to the realization of the idea.

The spread and growth of telegraph at both national and global scales made it possible for the growth of mass communication that is enjoyed today (Atterbury, 2011). The telegraph, as well as the telegram, brought personal communication on a scale that was inconceivable before.

The growth of the global network spread speedily across the nations and boosted colonial, military, and commercial endeavors as internationalization began to gain relevance (Atterbury, 2011). Hence, globalization, a concept that has predominantly shaped the modern world, can be perceived to have had its roots in the scientific and technological developments made in the late 18th century.

The telephone that was developed in 1876 also had a significant bearing on the rise of the modern world as it broadened possibilities and had more practicality at a personal level of communication (Atterbury, 2011). The development of practical radio transmissions in Victorian Britain during the end of the 19th century provided the basis for worldwide systems of communication during the 21st century (Atterbury, 2011).

These legacies can be regarded as the most substantial in the arena of communication. The Victorians managed to build a British railway network that was more than double as large as contemporary network, but frequently operated with enhanced efficiency. The urban transport systems such as buses and underground railways were also constructed by the Victorians and laid the ground for the contemporary legacies such as commuting (Atterbury, 2011).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the achievements as well as the attitudes that existed in times of the Victorians still exist. They determine many aspects of life in the modern world. Indeed, the electric telegraphy can be regarded as the frontrunner of the modern internet and phone. The fact that scientific and technological developments post-1500 have been a front runner in the modern technological development is a clear manifestation that science and technology can be a measure of the modern world.

References

Atterbury, P. (2011). Victorian Technology. Retrieved From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/victorian_technology_01.shtml#four

Fernandez-Armesto, F. (2009). The World: A Brief History, Combined Volume. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hepp, J (2012). Historical Foundations of the Modern World. Philadelphia: Wilkes University. pp. 105-109.