We will read and discuss the following article:
Mullins DA, Hoyer D, Collins C, et al. A Systematic Assessment of “Axial Age” Proposals Using Global Comparative Historical Evidence. American Sociological Review. 2018;83(3):596-626.
This article is an attempt to be somewhat rigorous about the idea that many civilizations underwent a major ideological and organizational transformation sometime around 500 BC. It relies on the Seshat database, systematizing information about the historical trajectory of various civilizations.
I will give a short summary of this article, then we can discuss the idea of big transitions and comparative evidence in history.
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