Kings and Things
Kings and Things
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How the Year 2440 was Imagined in 1771
In 1771, French author Louis-Sébastien Mercier published the novel "The Year 2440: A Dream If Ever There Was One" Written from the perspective of an 18th century man who falls asleep and wakes up in Paris nearly 700 years later, the book is a fascinating example of utopian retro-futurism.
Mercier imagines a world transformed by philosophy and reason, with an agrarian society that has invented hologram-like technology. The video delves into Mercier's depictions of the future city of Paris, advancements in science and culture, changes in religion and education, and his ideas for an ideal government led by an egalitarian philosopher-king. Now centuries old, this work offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the earliest portrayals of the future in fiction.
→ MUSIC
The Carnival of the Animals - VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns
By “Seattle Youth Symphony” (musopen.org/)
String Quartet No. 6 in B Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 - II. Adagio ma non troppo - Ludwig van Beethoven
By “Musopen String Quartet” (musopen.org/)
String Quartet No. 6 in B Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 - I. Allegro con brio - Ludwig van Beethoven
By “Musopen String Quartet” (musopen.org/)
Serenade No.9 in D major - V. Andatino - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
By “European Archive” (musopen.org/)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 - II. Larghetto - Ludwig van Beethoven
By “US Marine Chamber Orchestra” (musopen.org/)
Requiem in D minor, K. 626 - III. Sequence - Lacrymosa - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
By “Papalin” (musopen.org/)
Requiem in D minor, K. 626 - I. Introitus and II. Kyrie - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
By “Papalin” (musopen.org/)
String Quartet No. 15 In D Minor, K 421 - II. Andante - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
By “Musopen String Quartet” (musopen.org/)
Adagio in C major, K. 356 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
By “Bert Alink” (musopen.org/)
Lark - II. Adagio, Cantabile - Franz Joseph Haydn
By “Musopen String Quartet” (musopen.org/)
Beethoven - Concerto No.1 in C Major Op.15 - II. Largo - Ludwig van Beethoven By “European Archive” (musopen.org/)
Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 - Johann Sebastian Bach
By “Gosse Hulzinga” (musopen.org/)
Concerto for 2 Violins in G minor, GWV 334 - III. Soave - Christoph Graupner
By “Steve's Bedroom Band” (musopen.org/)
Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, Hob. VIIe 1 - Franz Joseph Haydn
By “Matt Dempsey” (musopen.org/)
Arminio, HWV 36 - Georg Friedrich Händel
By “The London Baroque Orchestra” (musopen.org/)
Larghetto, from Lute & Harp Concerto Op/6 - Georg Friedrich Händel
By “Unknown” (musopen.org/)
Переглядів: 303 470

Відео

These Gothic Cathedrals Took 500+ Years to Build
Переглядів 199 тис.2 місяці тому
This video is about Gothic Cathedrals that were never finished in the Middle Ages. For various reasons these massive building projects dragged out, and were only completed in the 19th and even 20th centuries! → MUSIC Concerto grosso in F minor, Op.1 No.8 - Pietro Locatelli By “The Modena Chamber Orchestra” (musopen.org/) Mass for 4 Voices - IV. Sanctus - V. Benedictus - William Byrd By “Ensembl...
The Oldest Voices We Can Still Hear
Переглядів 2,7 млн5 місяців тому
The 1800s aren’t usually remembered through sound. While Photographs allow us to see this century more vividly than any before it, the stern-faced Victorians stare back at us in silence from their portraits. It was only in the 20th century that the phenomenon of playing back voices became so common that we take it for granted. But the technology to do so existed far earlier, allowing us to list...
The Unbuilt Monuments of New York City
Переглядів 218 тис.7 місяців тому
From a colossal Gothic monument to George Washington to a Native American Memorial rivalling the Statue of Liberty, New York City's skyline could have looked very different. This video reveals the stories behind bold and ambitious monuments that were planned but never built. → MUSIC String Quartet no. 12 in F major 'American', Op. 96 - II - Antonín Dvořák By “European Archive” (musopen.org/) St...
When Europe tried to build Chinese Architecture
Переглядів 299 тис.9 місяців тому
In the 18th century, Chinese houses, pavilions and palaces were erected across Europe as part of a fascination with all things oriental. However, Europeans still had a very limited understanding of what China was like, and mixed eye witness accounts and motifs found on imported goods with their own imagination and taste. The result is called Chinoiserie, and in this video I show some noteworthy...
Some of the oldest photos you will ever see
Переглядів 710 тис.11 місяців тому
In the spring of 1842, a wealthy scholar and artist called Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey embarked on a grand tour of the Eastern Mediterranean. With the use of his camera, a technology that had been released to the public just three years before, he documented the local sites and people, and created a collection of photos that in many cases are the earliest to survive of the countries dep...
The Return of Classical Architecture
Переглядів 269 тис.Рік тому
Having become nearly extinct in the mid 20th century, Classical Architecture and related styles like Gothic and Art Deco have been making a comeback in recent decades. Here I showcase some of the notable buildings that have resulted from this trend. → MUSIC Trio in E Flat Major, Op. 38 - II. Adagio Cantabile - Ludwig van Beethoven By "Paul Pitman, Michael Arnold, Bang-Eun Lee" (musopen.org/) Ba...
When Skyscrapers Looked Like Cathedrals
Переглядів 156 тис.Рік тому
For centuries the tallest buildings in the world were Gothic cathedrals. At the dawn of the age of skyscrapers some architects looked back to these buildings for inspiration. Using the Gothic style they could express the soaring height of these towers, and create such iconic structures as the Woolworth building in New York, or Chicago's Tribune Tower. → MUSIC Fruits of Life By Jimena Contreras ...
The Origins of the Windsors Explained
Переглядів 205 тис.Рік тому
It's often said that the British Royal Family "is actually German". In this video I've tried to find out more exactly where the House of Windsor has its roots, tracing the history of the family over the course of more than 1,000 years. → MUSIC Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No.1 - 3. Villanella - Ottorino Respighi By "United States Marine Band" (musopen.org/) Sonate en do mineur - Jean-Baptiste...
The Impossible Architecture of Étienne-Louis Boullée
Переглядів 1,5 млнРік тому
Some architects have ensured a place in history by designing iconic buildings that shape our cities. Others, like Étienne-Louis Boullée became famous precisely for their designs that were never realized. Taking inspiration from pure geometric forms, Boullée designed visionary buildings on an enormous scale that made up the necessary institutions for an ideal, utopian society. His works anticipa...
India's Magnificent Royal Palaces
Переглядів 256 тис.Рік тому
India is home to some of the grandest and most spectacular palaces to be found anywhere in the world. In this video I shed light on four of them, talking a bit about their history and the circumstances around their construction. → MUSIC Dhaka MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Santoor and Tabla at Assi Ghat,...
The Earliest Born Person Ever Photographed
Переглядів 1,3 млнРік тому
Photography was invented in the early 19th century, leaving us with only paintings of history up until that point. But some of the first people to be photographed were around 100 years old, and lived through pivotal events of the previous century like the American Revolution. In this video I talk about a selection of these people, and what they experienced over the course of their long lives. →...
The Unbuilt Monuments of Washington D.C.
Переглядів 283 тис.Рік тому
In this video we take a look at proposed monuments and memorials in Washington D.C. that were never built, and rejected alternative versions of the ones that were. → MUSIC Music from Tunetank.com Victor Cooper - Elysium (Copyright Free Music) Download free: tunetank.com/t/35sg/5407-elysium Music from Tunetank.com eenspiry - Mysterious Journey (Copyright Free Music) Download free: tunetank.com/t...
The British Adventurer who Founded a Kingdom in Asia
Переглядів 41 тис.Рік тому
On 16 December 1838 a schooner called “the Royalist” set sail from England to Singapore. Its owner, a former soldier called James Brooke had put together a crew of old friends to go on an adventure in Southeast Asia, exploring the island of Borneo. It would be nine years until he returned, and by that time he was no longer a private citizen. He had become the first of a series of rulers known a...
Germany's 19th Century Fairytale Castles
Переглядів 419 тис.2 роки тому
The 1800s saw a revived interest in castles. Having largely been abandoned in favour of Baroque and Neoclassical palaces in the preceding centuries, the growth of Romanticism inspired many princes and wealthy individuals to return to renovate or completely rebuild them. Here we’ll take a look at five examples of that from Germany. → MUSIC Tannhauser, WWV 70 - Overture - Richard Wagner By “Unite...
Australia's Capital Could Have Looked Very Different
Переглядів 375 тис.2 роки тому
Australia's Capital Could Have Looked Very Different
4 Incredibly Well Preserved Ancient Greek Buildings
Переглядів 267 тис.2 роки тому
4 Incredibly Well Preserved Ancient Greek Buildings
The Monarch With the Highest Regnal Number in History
Переглядів 122 тис.2 роки тому
The Monarch With the Highest Regnal Number in History
Ludwig I of Bavaria: Art, Architecture, and Revolutions
Переглядів 77 тис.2 роки тому
Ludwig I of Bavaria: Art, Architecture, and Revolutions
The Early 20th Century Seen in Real Color
Переглядів 2,9 млн2 роки тому
The Early 20th Century Seen in Real Color
Maximilian Joseph: The First King of Bavaria
Переглядів 26 тис.2 роки тому
Maximilian Joseph: The First King of Bavaria
The Proto-Robots of Antiquity
Переглядів 514 тис.2 роки тому
The Proto-Robots of Antiquity
10 Magnificent Historical Libraries
Переглядів 490 тис.2 роки тому
10 Magnificent Historical Libraries
Charles Theodore of Bavaria: Unwilling and Unwanted
Переглядів 23 тис.3 роки тому
Charles Theodore of Bavaria: Unwilling and Unwanted
Cloacina: Goddess of Rome's Oldest Sewer
Переглядів 20 тис.3 роки тому
Cloacina: Goddess of Rome's Oldest Sewer
America's Lost Classical Architecture
Переглядів 356 тис.3 роки тому
America's Lost Classical Architecture
How to Become a God in Classical Japan
Переглядів 15 тис.3 роки тому
How to Become a God in Classical Japan
The Origins of the Romanovs Explained
Переглядів 158 тис.3 роки тому
The Origins of the Romanovs Explained
Nanzhao: A Lost Kingdom in Southern China
Переглядів 187 тис.3 роки тому
Nanzhao: A Lost Kingdom in Southern China
Germany's Ancient Roman Architecture (That's still standing)
Переглядів 375 тис.3 роки тому
Germany's Ancient Roman Architecture (That's still standing)

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @nisargpandya4407
    @nisargpandya4407 5 годин тому

    2:23 ❤ That is called Palace 🤍 ✨

  • @sheng21
    @sheng21 6 годин тому

    man those bums punching air right now those buildings are not built

  • @andrefernandes8102
    @andrefernandes8102 6 годин тому

    That's a very boring and moralistic future, hopefully we will not be like that in 2440 😅

  • @cyan1616
    @cyan1616 6 годин тому

    They were right about Pennsylvania being ruled by Mexicans. They've already started the invasion.

  • @davidmayhew8083
    @davidmayhew8083 9 годин тому

    First rate!!! Beautiful voice too.

  • @noahide7256
    @noahide7256 9 годин тому

    lies

  • @gumpy4960
    @gumpy4960 10 годин тому

    They don’t even have the excuse that they where destroyed by war like in some European cities. They where destroyed purely because of terrible decisions.

  • @EmperorMato
    @EmperorMato 11 годин тому

    Interesting video! However, I don't like the buildings. They seem ugly.

  • @vtop1c
    @vtop1c 12 годин тому

    It's fascinating to hear about how people from hundreds of years ago imagined the distant future... If anyone asked me how I currently imagine the world in 700 years I'd probably think humanity would be completely extinct by then.

  • @ironcladranchandforge7292
    @ironcladranchandforge7292 13 годин тому

    Coffee is banned?? Now that would be hell !!

  • @karenfitzpatrick6256
    @karenfitzpatrick6256 13 годин тому

    What an amazing journey to go on! The traveling alone was so different than in today's fast moving world. No planes, trains or automobiles. With all the massive equipment he had to bring with him as well. So limited was the concept of photography, no one, including himself, recognized how extremely popular and valuable the then novelty of photographic documentation could be. So much has changed, yet so much remains the same. Instability in the regions because of the constantly changing struggle for dominance creating dangers for travelers. And that money and fame being huge driving factors in his enterprise. Thank you for sharing this unique experience with us. Finally this work can be truly appreciated. It is art and history at it's best and at its very beginning . As interesting as the ancient cities and famous places are, what speaks to me the most is the photographs of the people and the fragile common buildings. The briefest of moments when they existed, almost two hundred years ago, were captured and magically for this period ) actually held time still. Real live individuals so very long gone and who otherwise would have been entirely forgotten. Then these precious items were abandoned to storage. It's remarkable they survived so long undamaged and then were rediscoved. Thank you again for sharing.

  • @ordinaryrat
    @ordinaryrat 14 годин тому

    This isn't a utopia. This is a dystopia under a thin veneer of utopia. This actually feels like the 'utopian' upper city in Demolition Man. People are brainwashed into a cult of pacificism and timidness with no freedom of thought. The most obvious cracks in the veneer, for instance, when it is stated that princes who inherently disagree, are punished by experiencing war for there entire lives. That is a worse punishment that being in prison. This society took down the bastille (that actually did take down crimimals) for being unethical but harshly punishes any thought that is out of line.

    • @ordinaryrat
      @ordinaryrat 14 годин тому

      20:06 Holy shit this is wild. There is no way this guy was trying to make a utopia here.

  • @darknesdkzr472
    @darknesdkzr472 15 годин тому

    This (the book) despite being very clearly intended to be read as an utopia of sorts, and thus being presented with very positive lens, has the feeling of having something very fundamentally wrong underneath the appearances. Although admittedly that is probably a result of how naively it presents the ideas.

  • @Infected_Axe_Wound
    @Infected_Axe_Wound 15 годин тому

    Did the first guy say FJB? I think he did.

  • @Kc12v140
    @Kc12v140 15 годин тому

    Man…. If only he saw how Pennsylvania would actually turn out 😂

  • @vulpo
    @vulpo 18 годин тому

    His whole utopia seems to be based on all of humanity just turning into angelic, altruistic, loving creatures somehow for no apparent reason. Well if that's all it takes, then let's do it!

    • @ordinaryrat
      @ordinaryrat 14 годин тому

      Didn't he say that the people are brainwashed into a cult of sorts that tames them?

  • @Ewokforlife
    @Ewokforlife 18 годин тому

    “Through a peaceful revolution led by its king” ya, that one aged like wine

  • @winstonmontgomery8211
    @winstonmontgomery8211 19 годин тому

    Some of these predictions could still come true.

  • @khaledragab7064
    @khaledragab7064 19 годин тому

    Is that limmeno voice??

  • @schweinetimmel
    @schweinetimmel 20 годин тому

    Sure he didn't mean 2024 or 2044?😂

  • @azDanqs
    @azDanqs 21 годину тому

    Cap, the oldest voices r in my head

  • @freddobbs4437
    @freddobbs4437 День тому

    Yea, but in your lifetime many will become mosques and within 50 years all will be converted to Islamic centers. That will formalize and finalize the destruction of Europe.

  • @houselemuellan8756
    @houselemuellan8756 День тому

    This feels like the Blazing World by Duchess Margaret Cavendish, but without the magic and multiverse hopping

  • @houselemuellan8756
    @houselemuellan8756 День тому

    I'm gonna steal this for a multiverse story I'm working on

  • @three-stripes
    @three-stripes День тому

    Yeah, I'll be storing a lifetime supply of coffee in freezers in the basement now.

  • @TheBoomhauer619
    @TheBoomhauer619 День тому

    This would be a dope setting for an open world video game

  • @NandoDisco
    @NandoDisco День тому

    Thomas Mason buying a phonograph in $95.50 in1878 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2,982.77 in 2024, an increase of $2,887.27 over 146 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.39% per year between 1878 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 3,023.32%.

  • @MrBcraze513
    @MrBcraze513 День тому

    Beauty and the beast background music??? Seriously 😒

  • @hiw9528
    @hiw9528 День тому

    Interesting video (I am from Trier) but there are 2 mistakes: There are not only 2 but 3 roman baths in Trier. The "Igeler Säule" (column in the village called "Igel") does not have anything to do with an eagle. The translation of the village's name would be "hedgehog". And of course there are other important roman buildings, not only the Amphitheater but also the cathedral which is built side by side with the Liebfrauenkirche. They are founded in the area of the former palace of emperor Konstantin. Konstantin's mother Helena was christian and she let built the first church on that place. A part of this is still present in the cathedral now.

  • @DavidLee-bf2pe
    @DavidLee-bf2pe День тому

    It sounds horrible. Free thought and honest, open inquiry would be punishable? No thank you. In the author's imagined future, man is still reactionary and full of fear.

  • @Cha4k
    @Cha4k День тому

    France isn't even going to be French 40 years from now let alone in the year 2440.

  • @user-xn8vf8pq1o
    @user-xn8vf8pq1o День тому

    Obrigado 😊

  • @zjwmusic1936
    @zjwmusic1936 День тому

    this is an incredible piece of history

  • @Owdaks
    @Owdaks День тому

    The Age of Enlightenment lol, when freemasons really went hard with the social engineering.

  • @JKSmith-qs2ii
    @JKSmith-qs2ii День тому

    This future has qualities of a dystopian future.

  • @wambutu7679
    @wambutu7679 День тому

    Does this predate Voltaire's short story of Saturn's ambassador visiting Earth? If it does it may be the earliest piece of sci fi written.

  • @Metamerist625
    @Metamerist625 День тому

    That was absolutely amazing, very interesting indeed. Thanks for uploading this!

  • @user-xc9wk3cz1s
    @user-xc9wk3cz1s День тому

    What we have today would blow their minds

  • @priatalat
    @priatalat День тому

    I can’t believe this guy predicted TVs

  • @rahmrahmlemonbalmx
    @rahmrahmlemonbalmx День тому

    Sounds similar too to some near-death-experiences

  • @pacificmalia
    @pacificmalia День тому

    Bravo Leon Scott 👏

  • @steveclayton2353
    @steveclayton2353 День тому

    Im from missouri,about 10 yrs ago I read an article about 2 siblings that were in their 90s whose dad was a civil war veteran!I think it said that their dad was in his 80s when they were born,thats amazing!

  • @ValkyrieofNOLA
    @ValkyrieofNOLA День тому

    I’d only want to be immortal to get to witness the how the world would advance in technology, science, social justice and the development of human civilization. But only as an observer and not a participant… Just an invisible spectator that couldn’t interact or influence the world around me, just look! But I’d want to skip through the decades like I had a remote control like in the movie “Click.”

  • @abradolflincler5482
    @abradolflincler5482 День тому

    12:03 The Ludovico Technique in 18th century utopian fiction lol

  • @corpeedo
    @corpeedo День тому

    Thankfully, in this reality religion is dissolving away.

  • @tigerburn81
    @tigerburn81 День тому

    What a commie.

  • @SilurKrita-km4pi
    @SilurKrita-km4pi День тому

    The world has many great inventions,but if we are excluded the benefits,it will not matter.Control matters. Who controls the benefits ? Answer:the Deep state.

  • @jimmyp.6180
    @jimmyp.6180 День тому

    This book sounds like ass

  • @koffeekage
    @koffeekage День тому

    This would make for a fantastic video game.

  • @jeffstewart3342
    @jeffstewart3342 День тому

    They weren't off by much.