The coordinate of the human Civilization

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The Coordinate of the Human Civilization

And Second Modernization Theory

HE Chuanqi

Director, Professor, China Center for Modernization Research,

Chinese Academy of Sciences

No.33 Bei Si Huan Xi Lu, Zhong Guan Cun, Beijing 100080 P.R. China

E-mail：ccmr@mail.las.ac.cn http://www.modernization.com.cn

Oct. 1999

Abstract

There are four revolutions with indeed impacts in the human history, which are the Tool-making Revolution, Agriculture Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Knowledge Revolution. Companying with the revolutions, the situation of society, economy and civilization have transformed from one to another (table 1). So we can divide the history into four ages.

Table 1 The four ages of the civilization

Stone Tool Age

Agriculture Age

Industrial Age

Knowledge Age

Time

2.5m years ago －6000 years ago

6000 years ago

－AD 1763

1763－

1970

1971－

2100

Revolution

and time

Tool-making

Revolution

2.5m years ago

Agriculture

Revolution

10000－5500

years ago

Industry

Revolution

200 years ago

Knowledge

Revolution

30 years ago

Characters

Wordless,

Collecting food,

Hunting,

Primitive Culture,

Primitive society,

Primitive economy

Word,

Plant, Breed

City, State,

Agriculture civilization,

Agriculture society,

Agriculture economy

Industrialization, Urbanization,

Democracy,

Industrial Civilization,

Industrial society,

Industrial economy

Knowledge, information,

Network, Globalization,

Knowledge civilization,

Knowledge society,

Knowledge economy

The first age is Stone Tool Age. It took the four stages of the start, develop, mature and transition which is the early, middle and last of old stone tool age and new stone tool age separately. The second age is Agriculture Age. It also took four stages, which are ancient, classical, oriental years (Europe middle century) and Europe emerging. The third age is Industrial Age. It took four stages, which are the first industrial revolution, second industrial revolution, industry diffusion (between two world war) and third industrial revolution. The fourth age is coming, which is Knowledge Age, it will take four stages also, that are the first information revolution (personal computer), second information revolution (network), biology revolution and space (table 2).

Table 2. The periodical table of the human civilization progress

Age	Period	Year	Time	Characters
Stone Tool Age		2.5m years ago －6000 years ago	2.5 m years	Primitive culture
	Start	2.5m－0.2m years ago	2.3 m years	Early of old stone tool age
	Develop	0.2m－40000 years ago	160000 years	Middle of old stone tool age
	Mature	40000－10000 years ago	30000 years	Last of old stone tool age
	Transition	10000－6000 years ago	4000 years	New stone tool age
Agriculture Age		6000 years ago －AD 1763	5800 years	Agriculture civilization
	Start	6000 years－BC500 ago	3500 years	Ancient civilization
	Develop	BC 500 －AD 618	1100 years	Classical civilization
	Mature	AD 618－1500	900 years	Oriental civilization, Europe middle century
	Transition	AD 1500－1763	260 years	Renaissance, capitalism
Industry Age		1763-1970	210 years	Industrial civilization
	Start	AD 1763－1870	110 years	First Industry Revolution
	Develop	1871－1913	40 years	Second Industry Revolution
	Mature	1914－1945	30 years	House machinery & electric
	Transition	1946－1970	20 years	Computer, atomic
Knowledge Age		1971-2100	130 years	Knowledge civilization
	Start	1971－1992	20 years	First Information Revolution
	Develop	1993－2030	40 years	Second Information Revolution
	Mature	2031－2060	30 years	Biology Revolution
	Transition	2061－2100	40 years	Space Control

Arnold Joseph Toynbee believed that there were period in civilization progress. It is clear that he is right. Besides the cycle, the speeding is also the character of civilization progress (table 2).

In 1950's, American scientists created the "Classical Modernization Theory". Based on it, the modernization is the process of the transformation from traditional agriculture society to modern industrial society and the great changes in this process since the European industrial revolution.

In 1999, Prof. HE Chuanqi suggested the " Second Modernization Theory" in the book "Second Modernization: enlighten of the human civilization progress" published by Chinese High Education Press. According to this view, there are 4 ages, 16 stages and two modernizations in the process of civilization progress. The First Modernization is the process of the transformation from agriculture society to industry society, from agriculture civilization to industrial civilization (just like American scientists issued), the Second Modernization is the process of the transformation from industrial society to Knowledge society, from industrial civilization to knowledge civilization (fig.1).

Fig.1. The Coordinate of the Human Civilization Progress

Note：S. Start，D. Develop，M.Mature，T.Transition, E.Emerge

K. S. Knowledge society, I. S. Industrial society,

A. S. Agriculture society, P. S. Primitive society,

P. Primitive，A. Agriculture，I. Industry，K.Knowledge

In 1997, America Prof. R. Inglehart argued that the modernization is not linear, the stage after classical modernization was post-modernization.

In 1986, Germany Prof. U. Beck believed that after classical modernization was reflexive modernization.

In 1999, Prof. He Chuanqi thought that after classical modernization (first modernization) was the second modernization (fig.2).

There are a lot of differences between two phases of the modernization in the field of politics, economy, society, knowledge and culture (table 3). Such as, the knowledge economy (new economy), knowledge society, information society, network, internet, cyberspace, electric commerce, globalization, innovation, life-time learning, diversity and ecology became the hot issues around the world.

Fig.2 The First Modernization and Second Modernization

of the Human Civilization Progress

Table 3. The comparison of the two phases of the modernization

field

First Modernization

Second Modernization

Politics

Democracy,

Constitution

Knowledge power,

Individual, International

Economy

Industrial economy,

Concentration, Machinery,

Automation

Knowledge economy,

Decentralization, Intelligence,

Network, Global electric commerce

Society

Industrial society,

Urbanization,

Wealth, Small family

Knowledge society,

Suburbs,

Network, Family diversity

Knowledge

Scientific knowledge,

Primary and second education,

Information transmission

Knowledge industry,

High education,

Innovation, Life-time learning

Culture

Industrial civilization

Religion secular, Reasonable,

Freedom, Equality

Knowledge civilization

Culture industry, Culture diversity, Natural, Ecology

In 2000, about 61 countries had finished the First Modernization and 24 countries had transformed into the second modernization. In 21st century, all the states will reach the shore of the second modernization.

It is a new age, it is a new start. We do have to face it.