Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies

[selah_1977]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "macloudt" <macloudt at y...> wrote:
> > :::::Bounces up and down with glee and waves her arm in the air 
> Hermione-style:::::
> 
> Me!  Me!  Me!  OK, it's been a few years, but I'll happily reread 
it to discuss it.  This is the sort of thing that I studied, so now 
*I* get to use my degree as well :::::waves to Jen P:::::
> 
> Anyone else besides us two read it?
> 
> Mary Ann
> (happy to discuss anything that doesn't involve Bob the Builder, 
> Thomas the Tank Engine, or Barbie)



Thanks, Mary Ann!  I knew someone here had plowed through it.  :-D

I had mixed feelings about the book.  While I'm glad that someone's 
posited a theory about the obvious disparities in the nations of the 
world today that doesn't have anything to do with race and genetics 
(for after all, there seems to be more aggregate genetic similarity 
between races than within them, as racially different populations in 
similar climes developed similar physiology--and separate evolution's 
still under debate), I (and a lot of others in the humanities, 
judging from the reviews) think that biogeography is too 
overemphasized in Diamond's otherwise impressive lay tome.  

While I don't accept biogenetics explanations for ethnic disparities, 
I do readily accept cultural ones.  And I think that Diamond is 
ignoring culture to his own peril, especially when he ventures into 
recent history.  Yes, often what happened to humankind from 
prehistory until now had been affected by the biomes that Homo 
Sapiens ended up in--mass extinction of large mammals in the 
Americas, tropical diseases in jungles worldwide and plant diversity 
that didn't encourage the rise of food production, etc.  But what is 
being ignored by Diamond IMO is cultural traditions of introspective 
inquiry, exploration, and innovation.  

Now, this doesn't have much to do with race and ethnicity... if this 
survey had been conducted a millennium ago, then you would have had a 
different picture than the present, of course.  At that time, 
medieval Islam was the site of this sort of inquiry necessary for 
technological advancement, while the majority of Europe (with the 
notable exception of the Vikings--but then again, they were among the 
last Christian converts, methinks) remained hampered by oppressive 
medieval Christendom.  That was c. 1000 AD--if the past sheds any 
light onto the present, the rational mind will be excused for betting 
that the year 3000 will present another global paradigm that we 
cannot possibly predict. 

For example, the past 500 years of world history and the rise of the 
West are explained by a number of factors that every well-educated 
student knows.  However, Western culture has been sustained during 
that same time period by a number of variables, a change in any one 
of which could topple the entire way of life and resort to another 
civilization having an advantage.  

For example, let me give an example that I give to my students every 
year.  Today we are much more specialized than we were 100 years 
ago... to the point that we all know how to do a limited number of 
things and depend on others for the rest.  I tell them that my 
specialized skill is my ability to teach others how to read, write, 
and engage in critical inquiry into the humanities.

But my mother can do a bunch of things that I cannot.  She can sew 
and weave, she can make many more things from scratch.  My 
grandmother can go several better on that--she can and has fed her 
family from a garden that she tends, knows how to tend cash crops, 
and makes just about everything from scratch.  And my great-
grandfather built the house Grandma grew up in.

I am not unique.  I do suspect that all of us have similar stories.  
We are becoming increasingly dependent on technology.  Sure, it's 
made our lives easier... but as Diamond shows over and over again, 
there have been civilizations and cultures in world history that have 
*had* more advanced tech then abandoned them, due to either cultural 
changes or necessity.

I could go on and on about how this book made me think about the 
future of human civilizations.  I really wish I knew someone in RL to 
talk to about it... but that will have to wait until I get back to 
seminars this fall.  Until then, I'm glad OTC is here.

--Ebony