Resets

[Tom Mazanec]

What are some historic rests of the secular cycle?

[Tom Mazanec]

Was the Black Death enough to do it?

[Bob Butler]

What are some historic rests of the secular cycle?

Was the Black Death enough to do it?

(I assume rests is a typo for resets?)

I think of the ages of civilization - hunter gatherer, agricultural, industrial and information ages - as including the Black Death as one of the transition triggers. Usually, the use of gunpowder weapons, the printing press, steam engines and representative democracy were among the important creations that shifted civilization in the transition from an agricultural empire to an industrial power. The Black Death was not directly involved in any of those, but initiated the transition. Still, there have been plagues throughout human history, and none of the others mark clearly an age boundary.

Yet that time frame did seem to indicate a transition. During the agricultural age, what passed for crisis wars were arguments over which dynasty would have power. The nature of civilization didn’t change. After that time we had conservatives wishing to stay the same and progressives wanting some flaw fixed. The change in pace accelerated significantly.

If you could give a few more examples other than the Black Death for what you are thinking of?