Course: Practical History of the World

From December 7 to 11, 2022

Focus for the course

Modules

Eligibility

Change happens gradually, then suddenly. Let’s be prepared for it. The first step is to understand its history and moral geography.

History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes. Keeping these period of history in mind will help you explore contemporary trends with greater clarity.

Who is this course for?

1

Curious minds

Curious minds who want to make sense of the rapidly evolving world through the lens of history
2

Leaders

Leaders who spent a part of their time making complex decisions, and want to get better at it. 
3

Young professionals

Young professional who want to learn mental models to navigate the complex world of work. 

Modules

The world has changed dramatically since then largely because of the change in thinking about how wealth and power should be shared. These changes are referred to as revolutions. To understand world history, you need have a sense of them.

The Commercial Revolution | (1100-1500s)

This refers to the move away from a solely agricultural economy to one including trade. Italian states were key to shaping this revolution because they built a built governance system with multiple checks and balances. This enabled a strong merchant class to emerge.

The Renaissance (1300-1600s)

Renaissance thinkers made logical reasoning instead of divine intervention their ideology. This led to massive growth of art and technology. It scaled creativity aided by the invention of the printing press. Families like Medici, who were merchants and bankers, used their riches to support building a new world.

As new ideas spread across Europe in the late 16th century, Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, Descartes and Erasmus came to fore.

Colonialism (1400-1700s)

We are all familiar with it, having personally experienced its downsides. From the European point of view, this push towards exploration led to exploitation in China, Japan, India and Africa.

The Portuguese were the first of these explorers, approaching China. While initially the focus was on trade, it turned to manipulation pretty soon, leading to Opium Wars among others.

The Invention of Capitalism (1600s)

The Dutch invented capitalism. The most important factor to keep in mind is the development of publicly traded stock and bond markets such as the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

The Scientific Revolution (1500s-1600s)

An extension of the Renaissance era, the scientific era, aided by important advances in astronomy and mathematics, led to a new way of enquiry. European governments began supporting and sponsoring technical research.

Second Industrial Revolution (1850s to 1900s)

The first industrial revolution was centered on the UK but the second one benefited United States the most. Steam engines, electricity, telephones were invented.
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