CHAPTER TWO: Perspectives on World History
Study
World history, for a realist, is largely a cyclical phenomenon. Over the past 5,000 years, human society has swung back and forth between empire and equilibrium. Realists point to the rise and fall of great civilizations like the those of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Aztecs to illustrate this principle. The last five hundred years have seen a greater tendency toward equilibrium than empire because the rise of the modern nation-state has led to a decentralized system with an emphasis on state sovereignty. Liberals, on the other hand, view history as more of a linear progression. Rather than seeing it as an endless cycle between empire and equilibrium, they point to the ever-increasing complexity of human society to demonstrate the emergence of a genuine global village. The last few centuries, with the industrial and information revolutions, have witnessed the continuation of this trend. Finally, the identity perspective emphasizes the development of ideas. It looks at humanity's intellectual evolution, from mythology to the Renaissance to the Enlightenment and beyond, and at how these ideational traditions have impacted the course of history.
Study Questions
- Starting with 3000 BCE, name at least one empire or major civilization for each millennium. Approximately how long did each last?
- Compare and contrast the realist view of history with the liberal view of history. What evidence do the two perspectives possess to substantiate their interpretations?
- What historical phenomena does the identity perspective highlight? Does it, like the liberal perspective, believe in the progression of history?
- How do the three perspectives differ in explaining the impact of the Concert of Europe?
- How does world systems theory revive Marxist theory?