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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 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.