Ideas
In this hugely ambitious and stimulating book, Peter Watson describes the history of ideas, from deep antiquity to the present day, leading to a new way of understanding our world and ourselves.The narrative begins nearly two million years ago with the invention of hand-axes and explores how some of our most cherished notions might have originated before humans had language. Then, in a broad sweep, the book moves forward to consider not the battles and treaties of kings and prime ministers, emperors and generals, but the most important ideas we have evolved, by which we live and which separate us from other animals. Watson explores the first languages and the first words, the birth of the gods, the origins of art, the profound intellectual consequences of money. He describes the invention of writing, early ideas about law, why sacrifice and the soul have proved so enduring in religion. He explains how ideas about time evolved, how numbers were conceived, how science, medicine, sociology, economics, and capitalism came into being. He shows how the discovery of the New World changed forever the way that we think, and why Chinese creativity faded after the Middle Ages.In the course of this commanding narrative, Watson reveals the linkages down the ages in the ideas of many apparently disparate philosophers, astronomers, religious leaders, biologists, inventors, poets, jurists, and scores of others.
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4recommend
8mentions
4people
2010–2022years
100% recommend
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- If you looking for something more substantive I highly recommend Ideas by Peter Watson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/408204.Ideas
- Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson.
Just an amazing survey of how people have thought and created over the course of human history. For me, it put so many periods into context; I finally know the different between the renaissance and the enlightenment!
- The fascinating speculation for me is the similarity of Krishna and Christ.
I first read about this in the fantastic book "Ideas" by Peter Watson
https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-History-Thought-Invention-Freud...
- If you enjoyed this then I highly recommend Ideas: A History by Peter Watson, a far superior book in my opinion.
I found Sapiens to be shallow and full of useless waffle after reading Ideas. It really highlights the fact that Harari presents one particular version of history and there are many great thinkers that have an opinion on the things he discusses. E.g. Harari speculates on how and why money came to be used where as Watson presents a plethora of ideas on the origin of money and discusses the merits of different views.
- Ideas: A history by Peter Watson is absolutely fantastic.
Gives a comprehensive account of the ideas and technologies that have shaped humanity "from fire to Freud".
- Highly recommend, Ideas: A History by Peter Watson.
Has a little less about historical events and more on the ideas that shaped humanity. The part on early human development is also fascinating.
https://www.amazon.com/d/Books/Ideas-History-Peter-Watson/07...
