What is this new-fangled CE for dates, and what happened to AD?

Mark

Its PC gone MAD so we dont upset our non Christian friends or cool lefties who would get offended on somebodies behalf if they can

Quote from: shaun on August 06, 2020, 02:33:36 PM
Its PC gone MAD so we dont upset our non Christian friends or cool lefties who would get offended on somebodies behalf if they can

Get a life!  It was my choice and has nothing to do with political correctness.  If I was worried about upsetting people I would have stuck with AD. 

Richard

Well said Sir

We should have used the dating system appropriate to each list - much more historically credible 

Quote from: nikgaukroger on August 06, 2020, 06:11:12 PM
We should have used the dating system appropriate to each list - much more historically credible 

I like this idea. On the one hand, think of the confusion. On the other hand, think of the fun! "This army is from the 787th year from the founding of Rome",  or "This army is from the 8th year of the reign of Ashurbanipal I ". A few of those and we'd REALLY have to learn our history.

I got a LIFE! was being light hearted But I will stick to BC and AD you can do as you please

Bet you use Wade-Giles as well 

Dont know, was of school the day that was teached

Not answered my questions, I've no idea what CE stands for, other than occasionally used for Chemical Energy when referring to tank shells (HEAT and HESH).

Genuine questions, and not trying to cause a dispute. I'd never even heard of it before seeing it on this blog.

What is it, why is it, where did it come from, and what happened to AD? Has it been banned?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era

It is the modern way.

BD and AD were much more distinctive.

But the idea of something more like 16th Year of the Dragon to 26th year of the Rat would be cool in Chinese armies.

S

I thought Shaun's original explanation was quite accurate. To quote the wiki.

"In the later 20th century, the use of CE and BCE was popularized in academic and scientific publications as a culturally neutral term. It is also used by some authors and publishers who wish to emphasize sensitivity to non-Christians"

So Richard, " It was my choice and has nothing to do with political correctness"
Uh no, it has everything to do with PC, that is literally the whole point.
I don't have a dog in the fight but if you're going to do something, at least be able to stand behind it.

You may have missed a subtle point here. Have you noticed how often some of the MEG team here refer to recent academic studies? It is part of their attitude to trying to get the history right. So using the system the academics themselves use is just a little way of indicating a serious attitude to historical research. I'm all for it.

Also possibly being missed/ignored: suggesting somebody is "just being politically correct" is a bit pejorative. The implication often seems to be that their position is invalid and they only hold it in order to fit in with some sort of vaguely-defined groupthink. The person being accused might well not agree with that. Just saying!