INTRODUCTION

The fundamental driver behind significant historical, social, and cultural shifts is the gradual accumulation of knowledge about the environment. Human beings utilize the resources in their surroundings to fulfill their needs, and expanding human knowledge about the environment enables more efficient satisfaction of these needs. Since humans are inherently social beings, they possess an inherent need to communicate, and the development of printing facilitated more effective communication. Human knowledge about the environment follows a specific sequence, with more superficial knowledge acquired before more complex knowledge.

The invention of printing, which emerged in Europe during the 15th century, was made possible by prior advancements, such as the knowledge of paper-making, which had originated in China, and the development of movable metal types, inks, and presses. The order in which these discoveries occurred determined the course of human social and cultural history. It led to the dissemination of new scientific ideas and technologies and the emergence of fresh social and ideological concepts like the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and democracy. Thus, the trajectory of human social and cultural history is shaped by the structure of the human environment.