Introduction
The development of humanity occurred in a specific historical cycle, which changed depending on the emergence of new ideas and innovations that allowed people to adapt to new living conditions. It is worth noting that innovative ideas at each stage have made significant adjustments not only to individuals’ lives but also to states’ emergence and demise. Thus, it is essential to identify the ideas of nutrition, rules, government, religion, and democracy that changed people’s lives and analyze their influence.
Nutrition
There is a theory that the brain increased because humans began to change their diet. This is because ancient people ate meat but could not find prey for themselves; therefore, they consumed the parts of animals left by lions or hyenas. Meanwhile, people began to produce weapons to get meat on their own; in the Paleolithic period, they ate by hunting and gathering. Humans’ lives changed even more in the Neolithic period because they began to domesticate animals, and it was then that people started to lead a stationary lifestyle. These developments significantly impacted their way of life, as they invented the plow to cultivate the sward and ceramics to store seeds. Therefore, one can conclude that people initially had the idea of gaining independent access to meat, but it changed their lives fundamentally. This had a positive impact not only on the methods of obtaining food but also on their lifestyle.
Rules
When people began to organize themselves into groups and then create cells of society, they adopted the idea of creating standard rules. Accordingly, the Sumerians supported organizing people into groups guided by specific religious rules. They had a system of gods, and each god was responsible for a specific activity, such as the distribution of the harvest. Meanwhile, human sacrifices were often made to the gods, so over time, there was a question of changing the source of power and rules. Progress was made when society became familiar with the Code of Hammurabi because it regulated the rules of human life based on human laws. The evolution of laws will continue to develop in the future, and modern laws result from this progress. Moreover, the development of society using accepted rules of behavior allowed for the establishment of basic rules in communities that people followed. This significantly impacted their lives, as they received clear guidelines to regulate their daily disputes.
Government
Initially, humans wanted to expand their territories and annex new lands, and they used war to achieve these goals. For example, the Assyrians believed in the God Assur and considered it their sacred duty to spread their religion to other lands. Instead, as time progressed, the methods of governance and conquest gradually changed, although the general idea of expanding power and territory remained relevant. For instance, the Persian Empire used diplomacy rather than war to annex new lands. However, the methods of governance depended on the form of government established in a particular territory, such as monarchy, oligarchy, or, in the future, democracy.
Therefore, the methods of conducting the state’s domestic and foreign policy depended on the form of government established in the states. Nevertheless, people gradually began to realize the disadvantages of monarchy and the dynastic choice of a ruler. They wanted to prevent wars and increase their standard of living, which is why civil wars often occurred, for example, in China. As a result, people’s struggle for the opportunity to govern their own land independently led to the need to elect government representatives.
Religion
Religion has existed and developed throughout human history, but gradually humans needed explanations for certain phenomena and actions, which were often justified only by the will of the gods. Thus, the idea that religion should be understandable to ordinary people emerged in the Axial Age. During this period, people wanted an explanation of the world’s creation and its rules, which was offered by Confucianism, for example. Thus, in China, people were able to establish a social order for themselves that they followed because, in their opinion, it was not established by the ruler but by higher forces. Similarly, in Persia and Mesopotamia, there was a transition from polytheism to monetarism. The basic concept of such changes was that the gods no longer needed sacrifices but required proper behavior from citizens.
Hence, religious changes are an innovation that was necessary along with the social development of societies. Simultaneously, the transition to understandable belief systems has allowed ordinary people to independently evaluate the postulates of religions and even choose one for themselves. Freedom of religious choice and understanding of the basic tenets of religion allowed people to participate more in the political and social life of the state.
Democracy
The idea of democracy has been with people for centuries under monarchies or dictatorships. Therefore, the development of society and the beginning of trade between states laid the groundwork for the emergence of a new form of government that included democracy. For instance, in Rome, the last king was a tyrant, which further motivated people to establish a republican form of government. Thus, the idea of democracy significantly changed human life; they fought for equal rights and a better life and had their first victories. The Senate permitted marriage between plebeians and patricians, which positively increased the rights of ordinary citizens and their participation in government. This has had a positive effect on increasing the rights of ordinary citizens and their participation in government.
Conclusion
Therefore, innovative ideas have gradually emerged with the development of the human race, which has led to the existence of the modern world. At the same time, the search for new ways of producing food, establishing rules of society, religion, and forms of government was gradual, but at each stage of human development they were innovative ideas. Consequently, ideas have had a dramatic impact on people’s lives and have positively changed them.