Historical Consciousness refers to the time (around the 1600…

Historical Consciousness refers to the time (around the 1600s) when people became aware that our ideas, concepts, and ways of life had shifted quite dramatically over time, and that our minds–what and how we know–is shaped, limited, and blinded by our particular historical location (in time, in geography) and all that has led up to this particular perspective, place, or position. Why is this important?

Which period saw civilizations turn in new directions and pr…

Which period saw civilizations turn in new directions and produce new forms of self-consciousness, social systems, and philosophical ideas (such as Confucian and Daoist traditions in China, Hindu and Buddhist traditions in South Asia, monotheistic and prophetic traditions in Israel, and philosophical rationalism in Greece), seemingly without clear contact?