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Introduction Modeling and Measuring Cycles, Processes, and Trends
No full textInternational audienceThe present Yearbook (which is the fourth in the series) is subtitled Trends & Cycles. Already ancient historians (see, e.g., the second Chapter of Book VI of Polybius' Histories) described rather well the cyclical component of historical dynamics, whereas new interesting analyses of such dynamics also appeared in the Medieval and Early Modern periods (see, e.g., Ibn Khaldūn 1958 [1377], or Machiavelli 1996 [1531]1). This is not surprising as the cyclical dynamics was dominant in the agrarian social systems. With modernization, the trend dynamics became much more pronounced and these are trends to which the students of modern societies pay more attention. Note that the term trend – as regards itscontents and application – is tightly connected with a formal mathematical analysis. Trends may be described by various equations – linear, exponential, power-law, etc. On the other hand, the cliodynamic research has demonstrated that the cyclical historical dynamics can be also modeled mathematically in a rather effective way (see, e.g., Usher 1989; Chu and Lee 1994; Turchin 2003, 2005a, 2005b; Turchin and Korotayev 2006; Turchin and Nefedov 2009; Nefedov 2004; Korotayev and Komarova 2004; Korotayev, Malkov, and Khaltourina 2006; Korotayev and Khaltourina 2006; Korotayev 2007; Grinin 2007), whereas the trend and cycle components of historical dynamics turn out to beof equal importanc
The Star-Galaxy Era of Big History in the Light of Universal Evolutionary Principles
No full textInternational audienceBig History provides a unique opportunity to consider the development of the Universe as a single process. Within Big History studies one can distinguish some common evolutionary laws and principles. However, it is very important to recognize that there are many more such integrating principles, laws, mechanisms and patterns of evolution at all its levels than it is usually supposed. In the meantime, we can find the common traits in development, functioning, and interaction of apparently rather different processes and phenomena of Big History. Of special importance is the point that many principles, patterns, regularities , and rules of evolution, which we tend to find relevant only for the biological and social levels of evolution, may be also applied to the cosmic phase of evolution. The present article attempts (within such a framework for the first time in the Big History framework) at combining Big History potential with the potential of Evolutionary Studies. It does not only analyze the history of the Cosmos. It studies similarities between evolutionary laws, principles, and mechanisms at various levels and phases of Big History. Such an approach opens up some new perspectives for our understanding of evolution and Big History, their driving forces, vectors, and trends; it creates a consolidated field for interdisciplinary research. Keywords: Star-Galaxy Era, cosmic phase of Big History, laws of evolution, universal evolutionary principles, Universe, preadaptations, Evolutionary Studies, evolutionary selection, additive and substitutive models of evolution, large-scale structures of Universe, gas-dust clouds, non-uniformity concentration of matter, circulation of matter in the Universe, dark and light matter
Contribution of GIS and digital archaeology to the interpretation of stratigraphic relations on the Bronze Age site al-Khidr, Failaka island, State of Kuwait: Imagery analyses of trenches 22S and 22T - case study
No full textThe paper presents the results of the stratigraphic analysis of the northern part of excavated KH-1 mound on al-Khidr site (Failaka island, State of Kuwait) based on the GIS and digital archaeology approaches. The results are compared with already published results of stratigraphic analysis based on the field observations only
Primary results of pottery analyses from al-Khidr (general typology and chronology)
No full textPottery presented in this paper comes from the research of al-Khidr site on Failaka island, State of Kuwait, that was excavated by the Kuwaiti-Slovak Archaeological Mission in 2004-2008. It offers a basic typological and chronological ordering of pottery assemblage retrieved during the field works in 2004 and 2006 seasons. Although they represent a small portion of the whole pottery collection from al-Khidr, the ceramics from 2004 and 2006 enable an overview of all the basic stratigraphic horizons at the site
Interaction between Kondratieff Waves and Juglar Cycles
No full textInternational audienceSome important correlations between medium-term economic cycles (7– 11 years) known as Juglar cycles and long (40–60 years) Kondratieff cycles are presented in this paper. The research into the history of this issue shows that this aspect is insufficiently studied. Meanwhile, in our opinion, it can significantly clarify both the reasons of alternation of upswing and downswing phases in K-waves and the reasons of relative stability of the length of these waves. It also can provide the certain means for forecasting. The authors show that adjacent 2–4 medium cycles form the system the important characteristic of which is the dynamics of economic trend. The latter can be upswing (active) or downswing (depressive). The mechanisms of formation of such medium-term trends and changing tendencies are explained. The presence of such clusters of medium cycles (general duration of which is 20–30 years) determines to a large degree the long-wave dynamics and the characteristics of its timing. Thus, not medium-term J-cycles depend on the character of K-wave phase as Kondratieff supposed, but the character of the cluster of J-cycles determines significantly the character of K-wave phases
Teaching & Researching Big History: Exploring a New Scholarly Field
No full textInternational audienceAccording to the working definition of the International Big History Association, ‘Big History seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods’. In recent years Big History has been developing very fast indeed. Big History courses are taught in the schools and universities of several dozen countries. Hundreds of researchers are involved in studying and teaching Big History. The unique approach of Big History, the interdisciplinary genre of history that deals with the grand narrative of 13.8 billion years, has opened up a vast amount of research agendas. Big History brings together constantly updated information from the scientific disciplines and merges it with the contemplative realms of philosophy and the humanities. It also provides a connection between the past, present, and future. Big History is a colossal and extremely heterogeneous field of research encompassing all the forms of existence and all timescales. Unsurprisingly, Big History may be presented in very different aspects and facets. In this volume the Big History is presented and discussed in three different ways. In its first part, Big History is explored in terms of methodology, theories of knowledge, as well as showcasing the personal approach of scholars to Big History. The second section comprises such articles that could clarify BigHistory's main trends and laws. The third part of this book explores the nature of teaching Big History as well as profiling a number of educational methods. This volume will be useful both for those who study interdisciplinary macroproblems and for specialists working in focused directions, as well as for those who are interested in evolutionary issues of Astrophysics, Geology, Biology, History, Anthropology, Linguistics and other areas of study
Beyond Global Studies. An Introductory Lecture into a Big History Course
No full textInternational audienceGlobal studies can be made not only with respect to the humans who inhabit the Earth, they can well be done with respect to biological and abiotic systems of our planet. Such an approach opens wide horizons for the modern university education as it helps to form a global view of various processes. However, we can also ask ourselves whether the limits of our studies can be moved further. Would not it be useful for the students to understand the evolution of our planet within the context of the evolution of our Universe? The need to see this process of development holistically, in its origins and growing complexity, is fundamental to what drives not only science but the human imagination. This shared vision of the grand narrative is one of the most effective ways to conceptualize and integrate our growing knowledge of the Universe, society, and human thought. Note that the respective discipline already exists and it has been developing quite successfully for more than three decades; it is denotes as Big History
Teoria krytyczna szkoły frankfurckiej jako krytyka kultury masowej
No full textInternational audienceThe aim of this paper is to present the Frankfurt School’s critique of mass culture. The authors particularly seek to demonstrate that critical theory provides a specific interpretation of Marxist philosophy, reinterprets some of its central economic and political notions such as production, distribution, fetishization, consumption and also attempts to illuminate the place and the role of culture industry within global culture. As a conclusion it is argued that the Frankfurt School’s approach, while it is still useful to social science programs, tends to be overlooked by social theorists.Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie krytyki kultury masowej w ujęciu szkoły frankfurckiej. Autorzy dowodzą, iż teoria krytyczna stanowi specyficzną interpretację filozofii marksistowskiej, definiującą na nowo niektóre społeczne oraz polityczne elementy takie jak: produkcja, dystrybucja, fetyszyzacja, konsumpcja oraz wskazuje miejsce i rolę przemysłu kulturowego w powiązaniu z kulturą globalną. W zakończeniu podkreśla się, że koncepcje szkoły frankfurckiej są stale obecne w naukach społecznych oraz uwzględniane przez badaczy
Kondratieff Waves. Juglar – Kuznets – Kondratieff. Yearbook
No full textInternational audienceIn the period from the 1920s to 1930s the theory of economic cycles underwent dramatic changes. Due to the research of such famous economists as Nikolay Kondratieff, Joseph Kitchin, Wesley Mitchell, Simon Kuznets, and Joseph Schumpeter the idea of a whole systemof economic cycles (with characteristic periods between two and sixty years) was developed. The idea of a system of intertwined economic cycles is nowadays paramount to the school of evolutionary economics and its development promises rather interesting future outcomes. That is why this issue of our ‘Kondratieff Waves’ Yearbook is devoted to the interconnections between various economic cycles. As to the subtitle of this volume, one should note that many of the contributors refer to the system of cycles and the fact that real economic cycles make up a system, whereas among different types of cycles, the Juglar, Kuznets, and Kondratieff cycles are the most important ones for the present-day economic dynamics. Although Kondratieff himself considered long waves as above all an economic phenomenon, the theory of the long waves became, however, very actively developed in connection with their political and geopolitical aspects. In this Yearbook, the political aspect of Kondratieff waves is the subject of several articles in the second section. The last section of this Yearbook is devoted to the heritage of Kondratieff and other prominent economists. The year 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the outstanding Russian economist, one of the most prominent researchers of medium-term economic cycles, Mikhail Tugan-Baranovsky, and the volume is concluded with Kondratieff's article about him. Concerning 2015, we should mention another anniversary, namely, 30 years since the death of Simon Kuznets (1901–1985). This edition will be useful for economists, social scientists, as well as for a wide range of those interested in the problems of the past, present, and future of global economy and globalization
Muka scilskih svetaca
No full textNational audiencePassio Scillitanorum ili Passio sanctorum Scillitanorum najstariji je kršćanski spis na latinskom koji se može datirati (u 180. n. e, za vladavine cara Komoda). Mada u tradiciji naslovljen passio ("muka"; takvi su tekstovi naglašenije pripovjedni, ponekad u formi pisma), spis zapravo pripada književnoj vrsti acta, djela mučenika (acta su "djelovodnici, zapisnici"); prvi su takvi izvještaji o mučeništvu zapisani na grčkom, i potječu iz sredine II. st. n. e. (npr. muka Polikarpa iz Smirne).Ne znamo točno gdje se u sjevernoj Africi nalazilo mjesto Scilla ili Scillium (Scila, Scilij); logično je pretpostaviti da je bilo u blizini Kartage. Prokonzul Publije Vigelije Saturnin, koji vodi proces, spominje se, između ostalog, u jednom Tertulijanovu spisu. Progoni kršćana u Rimskom Carstvu počinju od Nerona, kada Christianus sum postaje izjava koja povlači smrtnu osudu. Primjera radi, jednu istragu o kršćanima, kao cognitio extra ordinem, morao je, po tužbi privatnih osoba, provesti Plinije Mlađi dok je upravljao Bitinijom; o tome svjedoči poznato pismo Trajanu (Plin. ep. 10, 96, iz 112). No, prvi zakon protiv kršćana donesen je, čini se, tek za cara Decija (vladao 249-251