A Brief History of Humankind
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Course Details
Cost
FREE
Upcoming Schedule
- TBA
Course Provider
Coursera online courses
Coursera's online classes are designed to help students achieve mastery over
course material. Some of the best professors in the world - like neurobiology
professor and author Peggy Mason from the University of Chicago, and computer
science professor and Folding@Home director Vijay Pande - will supplement your
knowledge through video lectures. They will also provide challenging
assessments, interactive exercises during each lesson, and the opportunity to
use a mobile app to keep up with yo...
Coursera's online classes are designed to help students achieve mastery over
course material. Some of the best professors in the world - like neurobiology
professor and author Peggy Mason from the University of Chicago, and computer
science professor and Folding@Home director Vijay Pande - will supplement your
knowledge through video lectures. They will also provide challenging
assessments, interactive exercises during each lesson, and the opportunity to
use a mobile app to keep up with your coursework. Coursera also partners with
the US State Department to create “learning hubs” around the world. Students
can get internet access, take courses, and participate in weekly in-person
study groups to make learning even more collaborative. Begin your journey into
the mysteries of the human brain by taking courses in neuroscience. Learn how
to navigate the data infrastructures that multinational corporations use when
you discover the world of data analysis. Follow one of Coursera’s “Skill
Tracks”. Or try any one of its more than 560 available courses to help you
achieve your academic and professional goals.
Provider Subject Specialization
Humanities
Sciences & Technology
Course Description
About 2 million years ago our human ancestors were insignificant animals
living in a corner of Africa. Their impact on the world was no greater than
that of gorillas, zebras, or chickens. Today humans are spread all over the
world, and they are the most important animal around. The very future of life
on Earth depends on the ideas and behavior of our species.
This course will explain how we humans have conquered planet Earth, and how we
have changed our environment, our societies, and our own bodies and minds. The
aim of the course is to give students a brief but complete overview of
history, from the Stone Age to the age of capitalism and genetic engineering.
The course invites us to question the basic narratives of our world. Its
conclusions are enlightening and at times provocative. For example:
· We rule the world because we are the only animal that can believe in
things that exist purely in our own imagination, such as...
About 2 million years ago our human ancestors were insignificant animals
living in a corner of Africa. Their impact on the world was no greater than
that of gorillas, zebras, or chickens. Today humans are spread all over the
world, and they are the most important animal around. The very future of life
on Earth depends on the ideas and behavior of our species.
This course will explain how we humans have conquered planet Earth, and how we
have changed our environment, our societies, and our own bodies and minds. The
aim of the course is to give students a brief but complete overview of
history, from the Stone Age to the age of capitalism and genetic engineering.
The course invites us to question the basic narratives of our world. Its
conclusions are enlightening and at times provocative. For example:
· We rule the world because we are the only animal that can believe in
things that exist purely in our own imagination, such as gods, states, money
and human rights.
· Humans are ecological serial killers – even with stone-age tools,
our ancestors wiped out half the planet's large terrestrial mammals well
before the advent of agriculture.
· The Agricultural Revolution was history’s biggest fraud – wheat
domesticated Sapiens_ _rather than the other way around.
· Money is the most universal and pluralistic system of mutual trust
ever devised. Money is the only thing everyone trusts.
· Empire is the most successful political system humans have invented,
and our present era of anti-imperial sentiment is probably a short-lived
aberration.
· Capitalism is a religion rather than just an economic theory – and
it is the most successful religion to date.
· The treatment of animals in modern agriculture may turn out to be
the worst crime in history.
· We are far more powerful than our ancestors, but we aren’t much
happier.
· Humans will soon disappear. With the help of novel technologies,
within a few centuries or even decades, Humans will upgrade themselves into
completely different beings, enjoying godlike qualities and abilities. History
began when humans invented gods – and will end when humans become gods.
Sort By
- 0 reviews
- 0 completed
3 years, 2 months ago
Extremely though-provoking and exciting. Changed the way I think about myself and the world. I wish I had encountered this material earlier in my life.
- 1 review
- 0 completed
4 years, 1 month ago
The course explain a lot of subjects from history clear and easily. It´s very simple. The instructor shlws he knos a lot about what he explain and it transmit confidence for me.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
- 18 reviews
- 18 completed
4 years, 10 months ago
Perfect course, very interesting and entertaining - for me with technical education and without any information from this field. The instructor was inspiring, only absence of presentation on the screen instead of pictures.
- 2 reviews
- 2 completed
4 years, 10 months ago
This course is so amazing, that I took it twice (didn't get the certificate the first time). I even bought the book, and occasionally re-read passages from time to time, hearing Prof. Harari's voice.
The lectures flow so smoothly, no death by power point or montonous reading. This is one of the MOOCs that set the bar for quality of production and delivery (for myself at least).
- 1 review
- 1 completed
4 years, 11 months ago
Great course! It was enlightening for me, because instructor's point of view is different from points, that i saw in school or university.
Course describes not single events in history but trends.
- 11 reviews
- 10 completed
5 years, 5 months ago
I've studied about many of these topics in school, but it was not presented
in such a fascinating way. There's also lots of details I didn't see in
school.
What I liked the most about this course was that it don't simply present the
content, but also relates to our present. By studying it we can understand why
and how we have today's world. We can understand better people behavior and
actions. I know it might seems to be a little cliche, but this time is 100%
serious: It really will broaden your vision of the world.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
5 years, 7 months ago
- 12 reviews
- 10 completed
5 years, 5 months ago
Utterly fasincating. A great story very well told. History is not my thing
but I really looked forward to hearing the new lectures every week. Whatever
your politics or religion this bird's eye view of our history as we know it
will be challenging and entertaining.
- 4 reviews
- 4 completed
5 years, 10 months ago
What could I say about this course? It's excepcional. I am not able to
complete due time. Dr.Harari has a black humor, a he's extremely exceptic. His
points of some questions are highly controversial, but he makes us think. I am
going to buy a book, that is a compilation of the course. The video lectures
are so, so, so long. +more than 2 hours per week. Forum is sometimes polluted
with tele-predicators, but the most of time are incredible. If you want to
know the spread of humankind and our future if we had future, then attend to
this course. One awesome thing that I learned It's that the spread of homo-
sapiens was a caused of mass animal extinctions. Another awsome thing it's
that homo-sapines possibily committed holocaust to nearthdental. You travel
from suprise to surprise.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
5 years, 11 months ago
I took the course just to try out, didn't actually plan on taking the entire
course, but the material was presented in such an interesting way, that I
remember looking forward to new lectures. The course also had a very logical
structure which I appreciated.
I would however have enjoyed more interactive materials. But given how short
the course was and the scale of the subject it's not something I can complain
about.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
5 years, 11 months ago
I took this course the first time it was offered, in Winter of 2013. I was
happy that the course was centered mainly on the lectures, and that there were
no writing assignments. I usually only join a course when I know I will be
able to review all of the material and complete all of the assignments, so it
suited me that I could get through this one despite having a busy work
schedule. I will be happy to take it again and see what changes Dr. Harari has
made to the structure and content.
- 4 reviews
- 4 completed
6 years, 1 month ago
Well done exploration of "Big History." Very thought provoking and
informative. I like this approach of looking at major changes/dynamics in
history, but at the same time, not claiming absolute "truth." In the end, all
of history is a "story" that we tell about ourselves and it is helpful to
learn from a consistent approach that is well presented.
- 3 reviews
- 3 completed
6 years, 2 months ago
An extremely interesting course! Gave me a completely different outlook on
history and on us humans and a lot of food for thought!
- 3 reviews
- 3 completed
6 years, 2 months ago
I love history courses, but this was unlike any history I have taken before!
It was a composite of Anthropology, Evolutionary Psychology, History, etc. So
you are looking at wide swaths of human history from several vantage points,
for which most history courses devoted to specific locations or time periods
have no time. From these vantage points, human history takes on a new and
exciting progression. Professor Yuval Harari is opening a whole new, and very
exciting way to look at human history in this course.
- 2 reviews
- 2 completed
6 years, 2 months ago
A fascinating course. If you ever get a chance to take it, this guy pulls
history together in a creative way and sometimes turns our assumptions on
their heads. Truly a history of humankind, not a history of events.
- 2 reviews
- 2 completed
6 years, 6 months ago
Not a student of History. Never intended to do this course. Just enrolled in
this one like the many others. The first week itself had me hooked. The
unbelievable thing is that the Prof. managed to hold my attention for the
entire length of his lecture and for 17 weeks, that too! Definitely
recommended for anyone interested in learning more about the human condition.
This is mainly a course in Anthropology rather than History. Workload is
barely 2 hours per week. Excellent for those who have full time jobs or
studies. Every lecture is provocative and sometimes disturbing.
- 15 reviews
- 9 completed
6 years, 4 months ago
Great speaker, and great ideias about the possible path that the humankind did
to get here. It's a really multidisciplinary course
- 28 reviews
- 26 completed
6 years, 5 months ago
Great Course.A history course about Humankind.Maybe it is kind of long for a
Mooc,maybe the video lectures are way over the 10min which is the Mooc's
standard(30 mins each usually),maybe the graphics are poor but this course is
so good and addictive that you really don't care.Very good Course,great
Professor.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
6 years, 5 months ago
This was an amazing course! Each week I looked forward to the new lesson and
was never disappointed. Each of the lessons' segments was captivating and
thought provoking. Just sitting in his upholstered chair with some visual aids
to the right of him; and yet I was completely engaged. Certainly, the material
is fascinating, but just as important (maybe more) is Dr. Harari's talent as a
lecturer. He made the Brief History of Humankind compelling.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
6 years, 5 months ago
Off the multiple courses I have completed on coursera, this is still the only
course for which I eagerly waited each and every week for the video lectures
to be released. The gives a fantastically new perspective of the world that we
live in. Don't miss this ride.
- 86 reviews
- 77 completed
6 years, 6 months ago
Where can we start with this course? What a journey! Seventeen (!!) weeks of
story-telling, covering the past, present and future of Humankind. There are
so many lectures and chapters that I cannot really single out particular
aspects. The strongest and most flattering claim I can make about this course
is that, despite its length, it provides a completely clear and consistent
view of Humanity. It's quite an achievement, to take on such an ambitious
enterprise as to explain everything, and spectacularly succeed. Of course, one
viewpoint may be consistent and convincing but that does not make it true. I
personally disagreed, in some cases strongly, with the positions and theories
mentioned by the lecturer. His view of farming as the "enslavement of
animals", for example, is dangerously close to a form of post-modern animism
very popular in some "green" circles, but it's hardly defensible. But the
truth value of each particular fact or...
Where can we start with this course? What a journey! Seventeen (!!) weeks of
story-telling, covering the past, present and future of Humankind. There are
so many lectures and chapters that I cannot really single out particular
aspects. The strongest and most flattering claim I can make about this course
is that, despite its length, it provides a completely clear and consistent
view of Humanity. It's quite an achievement, to take on such an ambitious
enterprise as to explain everything, and spectacularly succeed. Of course, one
viewpoint may be consistent and convincing but that does not make it true. I
personally disagreed, in some cases strongly, with the positions and theories
mentioned by the lecturer. His view of farming as the "enslavement of
animals", for example, is dangerously close to a form of post-modern animism
very popular in some "green" circles, but it's hardly defensible. But the
truth value of each particular fact or theory in such a long course doesn't
matter at all. As we're told in the final lecture, his objective is not that
we start spreading his views as gospel; his objective is to make us think
about phenomena and events as a whole, since we're so used to
compartmentalizing and having only fragmented views. His success, he states,
is measured by his ability to make us think about these issues, and to make
sure that we will not be the same again after taking the course. He succeeded
magnificently.
- 1 review
- 0 completed
6 years, 8 months ago
A phenomenal course that provides one of the most coherent narratives for how
and why humans and our societies came to be.
- 1 review
- 1 completed
6 years, 6 months ago
I just finished this spectacular course. Professor Harari is an incredibly
engaging speaker. It became clear immediately that I better take notes that
could be reviewed later in order to digest the revelations in each segment.
This course is a 'tour de force" that provides an illuminating perspective of
the history of the human race through a synthesis of biology, evolution,
history, economics, politics, religion, psychology and more. This course was a
gift that gave me a profound and uplifting sense of the basis for the 'human
condition' we all share.
- 33 reviews
- 31 completed
6 years, 6 months ago
Dr. Harari delivers a set of highly approachable and very provocative lectures
that should blow most peoples minds away...and i'm not even exaggerating. Even
though this MOOC runs for a much longer time (4 months) than the average one,
it is well worth your time as you will not view humankind in the same
perspective again.
Student
10/10 starsTaking Now
6 years, 7 months ago
IMHO, this is a profoundly engaging course in which Dr. Harari miraculously
draws together many threats from numerous disciplines into a fascinating story
of humankind. He has provided plausible explanations for the genesis of many
things that we now take for granted. Certainly, some of his observations and
theories may be controversial and unorthodox. All the better. BTW, I've
persuaded 3 friends to take this course. All of us are hooked.
- 20 reviews
- 17 completed
6 years, 6 months ago
Don't be fooled by the title. There is of course history, but you'll get also
evolutionary biology, psychology, and more, from a point of view not just for
humanities. The course opens your mind to question yourself all pre-
conceptions by studying the history but also the drivers of humankind in order
to abstract yourself from present concepts we take for granted. Biological,
religious, and moral convictions are studied with the main changes in the path
of humanity in a very intuitive and intelligent way. The professor also
presents several points of view, trying to make you think, investigate and
make up your own. The course is very easygoing, with no written assignments
and very simple exams making it more like the Carl Sagan TV series of human
history.