At some point, every individual must have stopped and might have thought, ‘How did all this begin?' The departments, degrees, lecture rooms, and curriculum that exist today did not just materialise. Education itself had to begin somewhere, with one subject, which was first taught in the world, long before the oldest universities in the world offered engineering, business, medicine, or computer science.
Ancient communities felt the strong need to teach, transmit wisdom, and retain information even in the absence of textbooks, university campuses or exams. Formal education was started out of this need. However, there might be a lingering question about,
'What did they teach to start with? Was it quantities, religion, language, or philosophy?'
This question helps link the present to the past for students to navigate modern academics, like
-
The growth of universities from basic classrooms.
-
Why knowledge sharing, logic and reasoning are important
-
It is easier to understand why certain disciplines or subjects are regarded as foundational when one is familiar with the first taught subject.
So, Which Subject was First Taught in the World, and why is it important to know?
Which Subject was First Taught in the World?
If we go into the basics, the first subjects taught were most likely practical skillsfor survival and community, such as:-
-
Tracking
-
Gathering
-
Hunting
-
Toolmaking
These subjects were passed down orally; however, in more formal educational environments,
-
Mathematics (like counting, geometry), and
-
Language (like writing, reading, and rhetoric)
They were among the earliest formal subjects, alongside religion and history. Core subjects in ancient societies such as Sumeria, Greece, India, and Egypt included subjects like:-
-
Accounting
-
Sacred Literature
-
Logic
-
Fundamental Sciences
Since Mathematics developed before philosophy, writing, and even before the formal universities, mathematics occupies a special place in the history of education. It was created out of necessity rather than intellectual curiosity, like counting food, measuring land, arranging trade, and keeping track of time.
Given below are some of the reasons why mathematics became the first subject to first taught in the world:-
|
The world’s first subject was not selected; rather, it developed over the years. The first subject taught in the world was also closely followed by Astronomy, which offered perspective, and Philosophy, which offered meaning. Today, the degree that any student or individual seeks is merely a modern extension of these historical foundations.
Related Searches:-