Philosophy of history

Philosophy of history is a branch of philosophy that looks at history, from a philosophical perspective. Voltaire, a French philosopher introduced the term. History is not random. People influence it with their decisions. It follows a plan. There are five large epochs:

• From antiquity, up to about the 17th century people thought that history is fixed, and planned. Usually, this plan is called divine providence, and attributed to a deity.
• In the 18th century, the Church loses a lot of influence. Philosophers such as Giambattista Vico or Immanuel Kant believe that the End of history is part of history itself. The meaning of history is determined by humans. Reason and Ideas people give themselves influence it. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaimed in France,of 1789 marks a new era: The state becomes secular. People speak about "Men", "the State", or "History" as universals. Important thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment are called Lumières (literally: lights).
• In the 19th century, ideas become more formalized. there are doctrines: The Idealism of Hegel, Historical materialism of Marx, Positivism of Auguste Comte, Social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer are just a few. Nihilists such as Friedrich Nietzsche and people like Albert Camus criticize these ideas, towards the end of the century.
• In the 20th century, the Historical method becomes even more important. People like Wilhelm Dilthey try to understand history, rather than explain it. Modern philosophers try to combine the ideas of Hegel, Marx and Comte with those of people that were before. Marxists split into a reformist and a revolutionary branch. Ideas talked about are if there is technological change, and how it happens. Some people are critical about new technologies. From about 1979, people talk about Postmodernity.
• At the start of the 21st century, ideas are no longer about people "thinking history", but about their "natural intelligence" as a whole.

Voltaire started the idea