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Mankind is the most adaptable and intelligent of all known species of animal. The human being of today is not a hunter-gatherer but a sophisticated problem-solver. Since primitive human life 5,000 years ago, man has progressed steadily. But the most striking developments in human thought have only occurred in (relatively) recent times.

1. The first great idea: 2,500 years ago, came the first truly great idea, from Socrates. Socrates virtually single handedly freed the human mind from domination by its social environment. He asked for proof for everything that people took as granted, in the process creating many enemies. But his enemies are largely forgotten, whereas the Socratic method of questioning lives on.

As the Encyclopedia Britannica notes, "His method would be to start with whatever seemed the most satisfactory hypothesis,' or postulate, about a given subject and then consider the consequences that follow from it. So far as these consequences proved to be true and consistent, the hypothesis' might be regarded as provisionally confirmed." This kind of thinking created a chain reaction that passed through the centuries. Instead of attributing bad weather or bad health to gods, or to a curse from a local magician, man started asking questions. And observing things.

2. The second great idea: The next truly great idea came from Martin Luther in the 16th century. He questioned the authority of religious leaders in deciding what a particular religion states. He elevated, in a rather indirect way, the status of the mind of the common man. That the common man has an innate ability to decide on issues relating to God, is an idea that still shakes the earth. Luther was responsible for the train of thought that led to the separation of the church and the State in modern society. The Renaissance - which was characterized by the generation of many new ideas - can be directly attributed to Luther.

3. The third great idea: The third great idea arose from the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith. Smith showed how a policy of attempting to dominate other nations by giving the government great powers to regulate trade and the economy, would fail. He showed how competition through the invisible hand is the fundamental means of wealth creation, and how the self-interest of individuals can contribute to the greater good.

4. The fourth great idea: The fourth major idea is the result of the efforts of Charles Darwin. By observation and scientific method, Darwin showed that the human species was an animal, and that humans evolved from other lower forms of animal. Today, we know that the genes of a chimpanzee and a man resemble each other to about a 99% extent. The key idea that he found was that evolution of these animal species takes place through competition.

These four great ideas have significantly contributed to releasing the chains that bind the human mind.

Learn more about this author, Sukrit Sabhlok.
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