Category Archives: Humankind Ages

How the Fourth Revolution brings us from the complicated to the complex

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Complex is not the same as complicated. Industrial Age got us used to the complicated mindset. Collaborative Age is the the era of complexity. And here lies a fundamental difference overlooked and misunderstood by so many people. This is the … Continue reading

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Posted in Collaborative Age, Collaborative Age, Fourth Revolution | Leave a comment

Stop disseminating the image of the factory worker as a representation of the economy!

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Right now there are a lot of articles and communication in the media about employment and unemployment. I’m really struck how this topic is presented. Did you remark how much this communication is reinforcing the “Industrial Age” view of employment? … Continue reading

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Posted in Fourth Revolution, Industrial Age, Organization in the Collaborative Age | Leave a comment

Solutions to the national debt crisis 2/2: reviewing our tax base

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Our current tax base will soon be obsolete. It needs to be replaced by taxation of our new collaborative capabilities. During the Agricultural Age, tax was based on a share of the crops. When the Third Revolution came – which … Continue reading

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Posted in Agricultural Age, Collaborative Age, Collaborative Age, Collaborative Age value production system, Industrial Age, Institutions and Revolutions, Third Revolution | Leave a comment

The bureaucratic entanglement (part 1)

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Bureaucracy is stifling entrepreneurship. While it looks like rampant redtape is there for all the good reasons, it is stifling bureaucratic companies to death. Entangled in their procedures they will one by one topple over. Open, fluid organizations based on … Continue reading

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Posted in Fourth Revolution, Industrial Age, management, Organization in the Collaborative Age | Leave a comment

The 21st century enlightenment – the Fourth Revolution in action

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Have a look at this very good video on the 21st century enlightenment by RSA. The approach is very much aligned with the Fourth Revolution concept and approach. It is also a very interesting view point on the need for … Continue reading

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Posted in Industrial Age, Institutions and Revolutions | 2 Comments

Broadcasting power defined the institution of the Industrial Age

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So many institutions of the Industrial Age were defined by their broadcasting power. They were defined by their specialized journal, their TV channel, their radio station. Broadcasting was expensive and complicated. It took institutions to do that. Institutions decided what … Continue reading

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Posted in data availability, Industrial Age, Institutions and Revolutions | Leave a comment

Perfectly acceptable institutions will become inappropriate beyond the Fourth Revolution

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Slavery is unethical. It is a terrible mistake of humanity, an example of the dark side of man. Or at least that’s what our mindset of the Industrial Age tells us. But in the Agricultural Age, slavery was a perfectly … Continue reading

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Posted in Agricultural Age, Industrial Age, Institutions and Revolutions, Third Revolution | Leave a comment

Leaning into the Revolution is a choice

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Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is a buzzing modern city. The skyline is bright. A mere 20km East from the city center, steep hills are covered with primitive impenetrable jungle. Impenetrable to all except the Orang Asli, the original … Continue reading

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Posted in Hunter-Gatherer Age, Industrial Age, Personal Choice | Leave a comment

The third Revolution is not industrial

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The Revolution that happened in the 18th century is commonly named Industrial Revolution. But Industry is just the result of a deeper Revolution, the Third Revolution: the Revolution of Broadcasting. Broadcasting is sending out ideas to the world, in numerous … Continue reading

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Posted in Industrial Age, Third Revolution | Leave a comment

The second Revolution: Writing

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The Second Revolution was related to the invention of Writing. Writing is a technology that allows to transmit knowledge over long distances and long times. Very soon Agriculture and raising of cattle would change the face of the world. Population … Continue reading

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Posted in Agricultural Age, Second Revolution | Leave a comment

A revolution means a new Elite

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A Revolution means a new Elite will emerge. The old Elite will disappear or be confined to representation tasks (see for example, the royalty !). The Elite of the Industrial Age is the merchant, the capitalist owning machines. The new … Continue reading

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Posted in Collaborative Age, Industrial Age | Leave a comment

Specialization and trade

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From Age to Age, from Revolution to Revolution, specialization has increased. Hunter-gatherers were mainly specialized between men (hunters) and women (gatherers and children-raisers) In the Agricultural Age, priests, soldiers and specialist artisans were the specialists that did not produce their … Continue reading

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Posted in Agricultural Age, Collaborative Age, First Revolution, Hunter-Gatherer Age, Industrial Age, Second Revolution, Third Revolution | Leave a comment

Hunter-gatherer Age – the beginning of specialization

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The Hunter-Gatherer Age, which follows the First Revolution of Speech, is the beginning of specialization. During that Age, specialization is mainly related to sex. Men go hunting, women do gathering close to the shelter. But among the men and also … Continue reading

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Posted in Hunter-Gatherer Age, Industrial Age | Leave a comment