The primary data are taken from different dictionaries, as this data is
universally accepted. Only data associated with the development of the
symbolic models have been selected.
Note: The dictionaries present the data mainly based on feeling, or based on
local models, to select what is important or not. I selected only the data
associated with the evolution of the symbolic models, as MDT understands this
process. The evolution of the human species means the increase of power of the
symbolic model. This history follows just this idea.
70 milions years ago: The first superior monkeys
4 milions years ago: Some monkeys walk.
2 milions years ago: Stone tools. This is associated with the appearance on
large scale of the long-range image models.
200 thousands years ago: Homo Sapiens. Homo Sapiens was able to build easily
long-range image models. Usually, when a model is good, there is the tendency
to integrate it into the PSM. A PSM model is very efficient, but, because it
is invariant, it slows down the evolution. Homo Sapiens seems to have evolved
in a direction contrary to long-range efficiency. That is, instead of
including them in the PSM, such models were changed on and on, and they were
not transmitted to the next generation by heredity, but by social life of the
groups. That is, the groups were stable for a very long time. It is not clear
if Homo Sapiens was able to communicate based on symbolic models, but, for
sure, the communication was based on symbolic elements, at least in part.
130 thousands years ago: Art-type, religion-type activities.
On such a level, it is clear that the construction of long-range image models
was very easy and thus, the prediction of death and death itself were
understood. Art and religion cannot be directly associated with the symbolic
models, so we don't know if the language itself, as a symbolic model, appeared
at that time.
Based on MDT, the human being is the being which is able to make and operate
symbolic models (a language, as a minimal requirement).
Thus, I don't know, based on the data, when the language appeared, but the
supposition is that it was under development, once the activities were so
complex by comparison to the animal level.
Several thousands years ago: the cities.
A full language was already created and some elements of the writing too.
3700 years ago: the first phonetical elements for writing appeared, and later
(about 2900 years ago), the first phonetic alphabet.
This is a crucial point of the evolution of the human species. The brain
builds an image model. This image model is translated to a symbolic model by
the spoken language. For writing, there are two basic possibilities: to
associate a symbolic writing to the image model, or to translate the symbolic
model of the spoken language to another symbolic model of the writing.
The Asiatic people chose the first possibility. They built an iconographic
writing. The second possibility generated the phonetic alphabet.
The impact of the appearance of the phonetic alphabet was huge. The writing is
not connected anymore to an image model, but to another symbolic model- the
spoken language. Thus, writing becomes independent from the image model to
which it is indirectly associated. Later, writing was able to influence the
spoken language, and this tandem led to the 'symbolic' Man in Europe.
The Asiatic populations, who have used the method of description of image
models in writing, remained stuck in icons associated to image models from
their minds. This had a huge drawback in the development of symbolic models.
This is why in this history, reference is restricted only to the world based
on phonetic writing.
The phonetic writing has been a decisive step in the evolution of symbolic
models, due to its non-association with image models. On the other hand, the
Chinese spoken language can be translated into a phonetic writing, but this
mode could not be used as such, as it would produce a break from the image
models, which constitute the basis of the thinking/writing of this people.
1300 BC: Monotheist religion appears in Egypt. This type of religion marks the
moment, when the logical analysis applied to religion generates problems and
contradictions, associated with the existence of several gods. The desire for
logical order determines an evolution towards a monotheist religion. However
the appearance of the monotheist religion in Egypt was not a result of the
increase of the level of evolution of human society in those times, but was
created by the leaders of the society (one of the first monotheist religions
created by the people is the Christian religion).
600 BC: Poetry. A poem is a symbolic model, which uses image and symbolic
elements and relations. The poet has an inner image model, translates it to a
symbolic model with symbolic and image elements, which build up the poem. The
reader/listener will translate the poem to an image model in his mind. This
image model is supposed to be similar to the initial image model in the mind
of the poet. Thus, a poem is a way of approximate transmission of an image
model from one creator to a listener/reader, using symbolic models with
symbolic and images elements as a 'vehicle'.
300 BC: Euclid's Geometry
This is the first fundamental symbolic model ever created (a positive
science). It marks a very important moment in the evolution of the brain.
This symbolic model continues to be used up to date and it is not changed for
2300 years.
The second fundamental model will be created only after 2000 years and it will
be Newton's Mechanics. The evolution of the brain was very chaotic.
There is another symbolic model created in this period: chess. This symbolic
model is a game (it is not associated to external reality) and it is not
changed (just unimportant small changes) up to now as well. This game can be
used as a test of the intrinsic capacity of the brain to make and operate
long-range symbolic models.