Historical context of religions — literacy rates & the printing press — AI Philosophy & Emergence
TOLARENAI — AI Philosophy & Emergence
As we cast our gaze back to the foundations of modern religious faiths, we should consider the times in which they developed. Recall that the printing press was invented in 1436. The literacy rate was likely minuscule and limited to the religious clergy or the wealthy. Considering a historical perspective, literacy levels for the world population have risen drastically in the last couple of centuries. While only 12% of the people in the world could read and write in 1820, today, the share has reversed: only 12% of the world population, in 2020, remained illiterate.