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Representation of ancient people about the earth. Representations of primitive people about the world around them The course of continuous educational activities

The inclination to cognitive activity is inherent in man by nature. One of the distinguishing abilities of a person that distinguishes him from the animal world is the ability to ask questions and look for answers to them. The ability to ask complex, deep questions indicates a developed intellectual personality. Thanks to cognitive activity, the individual improves, develops, achieves the desired goals. In addition to cognition of the surrounding world, a person cognizes himself, this process begins from the first years of life.

Cognition begins with the perception of the surrounding space, in which the baby is immersed from the moment of birth in this world. The baby tastes different objects: toys, his own clothes, everything that comes to hand. Growing up, he is already beginning to comprehend the world through thinking, comparing and contrasting various information, observations, facts.

The need for knowledge inherent in a person can be explained by the following reasons:

The presence of consciousness.
Innate curiosity.
The pursuit of truth.
A propensity for creative activity (interrelated with cognition).
The desire to improve one's own life and the life of the whole society.
The desire to anticipate and overcome unforeseen difficulties, for example, natural disasters.

Cognition of the world around us is a continuous process, it does not stop after graduation from school, university, retirement. As long as a person is alive, he will strive to comprehend the secrets and laws of the universe, the surrounding space, himself.

Types and methods of knowledge

There are many methods and ways of obtaining knowledge about the world around us. Depending on the predominance of sensual or mental activity of a person, two types of cognition are distinguished: sensual and rational. Sensory knowledge is based on the activity of the sense organs, rational - thinking.

There are also different types of knowledge:

Life (household). A person receives knowledge based on his life experience. He observes the surrounding people, situations, phenomena with which he encounters every day throughout his life. Based on this experience, a person forms his own idea of the world and society, it is not always true, often erroneous.

Example. Marya Ivanovna, a high school mathematics teacher, believes that all students cheat. She formed such an opinion thanks to her rich life experience, having worked at the school for more than 10 years. But, in reality, her conclusions are erroneous, exaggerated, because there are guys who perform all the tasks on their own.

scientific knowledge. It is carried out in the process of a purposeful search for objective knowledge that can be proven in theory and in practice. Methods of scientific knowledge: comparison, observation, experiment, generalization, analysis. The results of scientific knowledge are theorems, hypotheses, scientific facts, discoveries, theories. If you open any school textbook, most of the information contained in it is the result of a long scientific knowledge.
religious knowledge- belief in divine and demonic forces: God, angels, the Devil, devils, the existence of heaven and hell. It can be based on belief in one single God, or many Gods. Religious knowledge also includes beliefs in mystical powers, the supernatural.
Artistic knowledge- perception of the world, based on ideas about the beautiful. Cognition is carried out through artistic images, means of art.
social cognition - a continuous process of acquiring knowledge about society as a whole, individual social groups, a person in society.
Philosophical knowledge is based on an interest in the search for truth, understanding the place of man in the world around him, the universe. Philosophical knowledge is discussed if questions are asked: “Who am I”, “For what purpose was I born”, “What is the meaning of life”, “What place do I occupy in the universe”, “Why a person is born, gets sick and dies”.

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Sense cognition

Sensory cognition is the first type of cognitive activity available to man. It is carried out through the perception of the world on the basis of the activity of the sense organs.

With the help of vision, an individual perceives visual images, shapes, distinguishes colors.
Through touch, he comprehends the surrounding space by touch.
Thanks to the sense of smell, a person can distinguish more than 10,000 different odors.
Hearing is one of the main senses, in the process of cognition, with its help, not only sounds from the surrounding world are perceived, but knowledge is also disseminated.
Special receptors located on the tongue allow a person to feel 4 basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet, salty.

Thus, thanks to the activity of all sense organs, a holistic view of an object, object, living being, phenomenon is formed. Sensory cognition is available to all living beings, but has a number of disadvantages:

The activity of the sense organs is limited, especially in humans. For example, a dog has a stronger sense of smell, an eagle-sight, an elephant - hearing, a echidna - touch.
Often sensory knowledge excludes logic.
Based on the activity of the sense organs, the individual is involved in emotions: beautiful images cause admiration, an unpleasant smell - disgust, a sharp sound - fear.

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According to the degree of cognition of the surrounding space, it is customary to distinguish the following types of sensory cognition:

1 kind - feeling. It represents a separate characteristic of an object, obtained through the activity of one of the sense organs.

Example. Nastya felt the smell of hot bread, walking down the street, it was brought by the wind from the bakery, where they once baked bread. Petya saw a shelf with oranges in the shop window, but he did not have money with him to go in and buy them.

type 2 - perception. This is a set of sensations that creates a complete picture, a general image of an object, phenomenon.

Example. Nastya was attracted by the delicious smell, went into the bakery and bought bread there. It was still hot, with a crispy crust, and Nastya ate half at once at dinner. Petya asked his mother to buy oranges at home, in a store opposite the house. They were large, bright in color, but they tasted sour and nasty. Petya couldn't finish even one piece of fruit completely.

3rd view - presentation. This is the memory of an object, a subject that was previously explored, thanks to the activity of the senses.

Example. Feeling the familiar smell of bread, Nastya immediately wanted to have lunch, she remembered well the crisp, fresh hot loaf. Petya, visiting a friend's name day, grimaced at the sight of oranges on the table, he immediately remembered the sour taste of the recently eaten fruit.

rational cognition

Rational knowledge is knowledge based on logical thinking. It differs from sensual in important characteristics:

The presence of evidence. If the result of sensory cognition is sensations obtained from one's own experience, then as a result of rational cognition - facts that can be proved using scientific methods.
Consistency of acquired knowledge. Knowledge is not isolated from each other, they are interconnected in a system of concepts, theories, forming separate sciences.

Example. History is a science based on rational knowledge. All the knowledge gained with its help is systematized and complements each other.

The presence of a conceptual apparatus. Thanks to rational knowledge, concepts and definitions are created that can be used in the future.

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The methods of rational knowledge are:

logical method (the use of logical thinking in the knowledge of something);
synthesis (connection of separate parts, data into a single whole);
observation;
measurement;
comparison (definition of differences, similarities);

All existing sciences and teachings were created on the basis of rational knowledge.

Ways to find information

In modern times, information retrieval has become one of the ways of understanding the world around us. A wide variety of media greatly increases the cognitive capabilities of a person. Thus, knowledge is carried out through:

printed publications (newspapers, books, magazines);
the Internet;
television;
broadcasting;

Using the Internet, you can very quickly and easily find almost any information, but it is not always reliable. Therefore, when choosing ways to search for information, you need to be careful, check the data in different sources.

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Example. In 2012, many articles were published on the Internet that foreshadowed the end of the world. Some talked about the fall of an asteroid to Earth, others about global warming and flooding of the land surface. But, it was easy to check this by looking for studies by different scientists about upcoming natural disasters and comparing their results with each other.

self-knowledge

From an early age, a person observes his appearance, evaluates his activities, compares himself with others. Every year he learns something new about himself: abilities, qualities of character, personality traits are manifested. Self-knowledge of a person is not a quick, gradual process. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses, a person can improve himself, develop.

Self-knowledge consists of several levels:

Self-recognition. At the age of 1-1.5 years, the child begins to recognize himself in the mirror, to understand that his reflection is there.
Introspection. The individual observes his actions, thoughts, deeds.
Introspection. A person is aware of his character traits, features, evaluates them, compares them with moral standards. He compares his actions and the results to which they led.
Self-esteem. A person develops a stable idea of himself as a person. Self-esteem can be objective, veiled or underestimated.

In addition, self-knowledge can be directed by a person to his own mental, creative or physical abilities. A separate type is spiritual self-knowledge, in this case a person is interested in the nature of his soul.

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The rich inner world of man

The inner world of a person is his desires, goals, beliefs, worldview, ideas about himself and other people, values. Appearance can be noticed immediately and its attractiveness can be assessed, but things are more complicated with the inner world. At first glance, it is imperceptible, but over time it manifests itself in the communication and actions of a person.

It often happens that an outwardly unattractive person still evokes sympathy, thanks to his inner qualities. Conversely, a beautiful person quickly causes disappointment if he behaves stupidly, impudently, selfishly. So the inner world and appearance, actions - add up to a single whole, making up a general idea of \u200b\u200ba person.

Especially for vacationers, as well as regular travel lovers, we tell you where the legs of modern tourism grow from.

1. Primitive world

The first people could not afford a long stay. Having exhausted natural resources, they left their homes and set off in search of new lands, where mammoths are larger and the grass is greener.

Constant migration processes stimulated the intellectual development of people: the beginnings of geographical knowledge appeared, botany, zoology, and even elementary mechanics developed. In addition, the need to transfer the accumulated information contributed to the emergence of rock art.

2. Ancient civilizations

With the advent of the first civilizations, the movement of human masses across the planet did not stop, although the motivation for movement changed.

The key to the prosperity of the ancient states was international trade. The rulers of Ancient Egypt regularly equipped expeditions pursuing trade and economic goals. For example, it is known for certain about the journey of a certain Hannu in 2750 BC. to the coast of the Red Sea for precious stones, ivory and incense.

Then in the XXVII century BC. e. Egyptian ships crossed the Mediterranean for the first time - the goal of the wanderers was the Phoenician city of Byblos, from where the flotilla returned to the top stuffed with cedar wood.

It should be noted that merchants often played the role of pioneers, supplying home not only rare goods, but also valuable information about the structure of the surrounding world.

The development of trade led to the creation of the institution of embassies. Chinese, Egyptian, Sumerian diplomats made long-term voyages to distant lands in order to become a guarantor of peaceful relations between states. Long before the beginning of the new era, religious wanderings appeared. Groups of pilgrims making processions to the temples of the great gods, and missionaries spreading their own creeds, organically fit into the cultural landscape of the ancient world.

3. Ancient Greece

The Hellenes also undertook trade voyages, made pilgrimages and traveled for knowledge (“The Father of History” Herodotus visited Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, the country of the Scythians and many other places, describing in detail the geography of his movements, as well as the history and culture of the peoples he saw). In addition, it was in ancient Greece that such phenomena as sports and health tourism first appeared.

Those wishing to improve their health went to the temples of the god of healing Asclepius. These structures, as a rule, were located far from cities in places with a favorable climate. Temple priests studied medicine and helped those who wished to be cured of ailments.

However, the treatment began even before the believer met with the deity. The ritual preceding the visit to the temple included a number of important procedures: fasting, washing, visiting the bath. In addition, the Greeks were well aware of the healing properties of sulfuric, salty-sulfuric and ferruginous waters. Baths were erected near the springs, where wealthy citizens could relax and at the same time get rid of ailments.

The phenomenon of sports tourism appeared in Greece around the 8th century. BC e. thanks to the Olympic Games. Once every four years, tens of thousands of fans flocked to Olympia to watch the competition of their idols.

On the occasion of the Olympics, a fair was held in the city, where, in addition to shopping, one could listen to the speeches of famous philosophers, poets or orators, as well as gawk at the works of local painters. Cultural leisure continued in the temples, where, for a fee, it was possible to watch the work of the priests, as well as listen to the "guide" telling stories and legends about this place.

A network of "sacred" roads was laid near large temples, providing unhindered access for pilgrims to the sanctuary. In the resorts and near the temples there were hotels that provided shelter for strangers, but travelers brought food with them. These institutions were municipally owned, because it was considered unworthy to keep such a business.

In addition, in rich houses there were usually always rooms for guests - wealthy Greeks welcomed even unfamiliar travelers.

"Hospitality Unions" were created in Greek cities. Each member of such an alliance - a xen - became a defender of the interests of the inhabitants of another policy in his own state. Over time, the institute of proxens was formed in Hellas. Proxenus acted as a consul, representing the interests of the inhabitants of the place that granted him this status.

4. Ancient Rome

During the heyday of the empire, a network of high-quality roads was built, the total length of which, according to various estimates, ranged from 80 to 300 thousand kilometers. Along the roads, at a distance of 6-15 miles from each other, there were post stations where you could change horses, as well as satisfy other needs: dine in a tavern and stay for the night.

Most of the Roman hotels were not comfortable: straw-stuffed and insect-infested pillows, diluted wine, bad food. Therefore, the poor stayed in roadside hotels. Wealthy travelers spent the night in tents that they took with them.

Road maps with the designation of inns were in great demand among travelers. In addition to maps, at the beginning of the new era, the Romans also had guidebooks at their disposal. You could buy them in a special "tourist office".

The unprecedented flourishing of the tourism industry in ancient Rome is also evidenced by the fact that prominent minds of their time began to develop the philosophy of travel. For example, Seneca the Younger wrote that for productive rest it is necessary to “choose healthy places not only for the body, but also for morals”, since “and the area, no doubt, is not devoid of the ability to corrupt.”

Since ancient times, knowing the environment and expanding the living space, a person thought about how the world works, where he lives. Trying to explain the Universe, he used categories that were close and understandable to him, first of all, drawing parallels with familiar nature and the area in which he himself lived. How people used to represent the Earth? What did they think about its shape and place in the universe? How have their views changed over time? All this allows you to find out historical sources that have come down to the present day.

How ancient people imagined the Earth

The first prototypes of geographical maps are known to us in the form of images left by our ancestors on the walls of caves, incisions on stones and animal bones. Researchers find such sketches in different parts of the world. Such drawings depict hunting grounds, places where game hunters set traps, and roads.

Schematically depicting rivers, caves, mountains, forests on improvised material, a person sought to pass on information about them to subsequent generations. In order to distinguish objects already familiar to them from new ones, just discovered, people gave them names. So, gradually mankind accumulated geographical experience. And even then our ancestors began to wonder what the Earth is.

The way ancient people imagined the Earth largely depended on the nature, topography and climate of the places where they lived. Therefore, the peoples of different parts of the planet saw the world around them in their own way, and these views differed significantly.

Babylon

Valuable historical information about how ancient people imagined the Earth was left to us by civilizations that lived on the lands between and the Euphrates, inhabited the Nile Delta and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea (modern territories of Asia Minor and southern Europe). This information is more than six thousand years old.

Thus, the ancient Babylonians considered the Earth a "world mountain", on the western slope of which was Babylonia - their country. This idea was facilitated by the fact that the eastern part of the lands they knew rested on high mountains, which no one dared to cross.

South of Babylonia was the sea. This allowed people to believe that the "world mountain" is actually round, and is washed by the sea from all sides. On the sea, like an inverted bowl, rests the solid heavenly world, which is in many ways similar to the earthly one. It also had its own "land", "air" and "water". The role of the land was played by the belt of the Zodiacal constellations, which blocked the celestial "sea" like a dam. It was believed that the Moon, the Sun and several planets move along this firmament. The sky for the Babylonians was the place of residence of the gods.

The souls of dead people, on the contrary, lived in the underground "abyss". At night, the Sun, plunging into the sea, had to pass through this dungeon from the western edge of the Earth to the eastern, and in the morning, rising from the sea to the firmament, again begin its daytime journey along it.

The way people represented the Earth in Babylon was based on observations of natural phenomena. However, the Babylonians could not correctly interpret them.

Palestine

As for the inhabitants of this country, other ideas reigned on these lands, different from those of Babylon. The ancient Jews lived in a flat area. Therefore, the Earth in their vision also looked like a plain, which in places was crossed by mountains.

Winds, bringing with them either drought or rain, occupied a special place in the beliefs of the Palestinians. Living in the "lower zone" of the sky, they separated the "heavenly waters" from the surface of the Earth. Water, in addition, was under the Earth, feeding from there all the seas and rivers on its surface.

India, Japan, China

Probably the most famous legend today, which tells how ancient people imagined the Earth, was composed by the ancient Indians. This people believed that the Earth was actually a hemisphere, which rests on the backs of four elephants. These elephants stood on the back of a giant tortoise swimming in an endless sea of milk. All these creatures were wrapped in many rings by the black cobra Shesha, which had several thousand heads. These heads, according to the beliefs of the Indians, propped up the universe.

The land in the view of the ancient Japanese was limited to the territory of the islands known to them. She was credited with a cubic shape, and the frequent earthquakes that occur in their homeland were explained by the rampage of the fire-breathing dragon that lives deep in its depths.

About five hundred years ago, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, observing the stars, established that the center of the Universe is the Sun, and not the Earth. Almost 40 years after the death of Copernicus, his ideas were developed by the Italian Galileo Galilei. This scientist was able to prove that all the planets of the solar system, including the Earth, actually revolve around the Sun. Galileo was accused of heresy and forced to renounce his teachings.

However, the Englishman Isaac Newton, who was born a year after the death of Galileo, subsequently managed to discover the law of universal gravitation. Based on it, he explained why the Moon revolves around the Earth, and the planets with satellites and numerous revolve around the Sun.

The knowledge of nature developed the observation of ancient man. This allowed him to make many remarkable discoveries. People gradually learned to understand the plant world around them. They learned to distinguish useful plants from those that can cause harm. They began to eat many plants, learned the medicinal properties of some of them. Infusions, ointments, decoctions were made from medicinal plants. Poisons were used to put the fish to sleep, but mostly they were covered with arrowheads.
Already in such a distant past, people were able to identify certain diseases and apply appropriate methods of treatment. If necessary, they stopped the blood, even performed surgical operations, such as opening an abscess, removing a diseased tooth. In exceptional cases, diseased limbs could be amputated.
Hunting allowed to learn a lot about the life of wild animals. People were well versed in the habits of animals, in their tracks they could determine the path of their movement. Hunting or gathering, a person was guided by the terrain. He learned this by observing the position of the Sun and the stars in the sky.
The man knew how to measure distances. Long distances were calculated in days of travel. In this case, the day was considered the period from sunrise to sunset. Smaller distances were measured by the flight of an arrow or spear. Quite small - with the help of various parts of the human body: feet, elbow, finger, nail.
Ideas about the world around
Ancient man felt himself a part of nature. He was convinced of the existence of his connection with the animal and plant world. Therefore, worship of certain types of animals and plants arose. The animal, considered the patron of the family, was forbidden to kill and eat, it was impossible to cause any harm to it. The image of the patron of the family was applied to weapons, household items, they decorated the dwelling.
A thunderstorm, the change of day and night, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, and other natural phenomena were considered by primitive people as the activity of spirits. Spirits in their view often had a humanoid appearance.
f Remember folk tales in which things, tools, plants are endowed with human qualities.

Primitive man believed that there were evil and good spirits in the world. The patronage of good spirits helps to cope with a serious illness, contributes to a successful hunt. Evil spirits can unleash terrible disasters - fire, death and other misfortunes. You can call the help of good spirits, you can avoid evil spirits with the help of a gift, that is, a sacrifice in their honor. The victim could be a dead animal, and sometimes even a person.

Buffalo. Bone carving. 13th Millennium Stonehenge. England BC e. La Madeleine. France
Ancient people had their own explanation of death. In the burials of the Cro-Magnons found by archaeologists, the dead were laid in the pose of a sleeping person. Their heads rested on a stone "cushion" or grass mat. There were clothes, food, jewelry nearby. If the deceased was a hunter during his lifetime, hunting tools were located nearby. Burial excavations show that the Cro-Magnons believed in an afterlife.
Primitive people believed in the mighty power of magic. It was believed that certain actions and words have magical powers, and the magical effect can be enhanced with the help of an amulet. An amulet, or amulet, is an object that protects a person from harm. In order for the hunt to be successful, a magical rite was performed. At the same time, in their spells, they turned to good spirits for help.
Only shamans or sorcerers of the tribe owned mysterious, magical techniques. These were, as a rule, elderly people. They had more life experience than their relatives. They knew how to observe nature, knew the signs, used the healing properties of plants. Sorcerers, performing magical actions, gave practical advice to hunters, could provide assistance in case of illness. In the tribal community, the tribe treated the sorcerers with great respect. Kindred thought that sorcerers were endowed with a special gift that allowed them to communicate with spirits and influence them. Shamans were trusted to educate the youth.
Primitive people did not have a written language, so they passed on their understanding of the surrounding nature from generation to generation in the form of oral stories. So myths appeared - legends about heroes, gods, natural phenomena. For example, one of them said that the sun is a person who has two houses: on earth and in heaven. He makes a daily journey from one house to another.
Another myth spoke of a huge bird with gigantic roofs. When it flies across the sky, a terrible thunder is heard from the flapping of its wings, and when it blinks, lightning flashes. Through fantastic explanations of natural phenomena, primitive man sought to comprehend the world around him, to understand his place in it.