Roger answers “Many historians have reexamined and...”

Andrew asked this question about Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies:

Many historians have reexamined and abandoned the notion that Africa was always primitive and poor. John K. Thornton, for example, argues that Africa's backwardness is a recent phenomenon; before perhaps the 18th century, societies in sub-Saharan Africa were just as advanced as those in Europe or Asia. How does this square with Diamond's theory that Africa was geographically predisposed to poverty and backwardness?

Roger This question falsely represents Jared Diamond's theory and argument. He does not argue that any area, including Africa, was predisposed to poverty an…moreThis question falsely represents Jared Diamond's theory and argument. He does not argue that any area, including Africa, was predisposed to poverty and backwardness. On the contrary, he examines the inter-relationships of many factors in human history, including, climate, terrain, isolation (or collocation), availability of natural resources, possibility for farming as opposed to hunter-gathering, experience of warfare, natural as opposed to artificial spread of crops, exposure to disease, and more.

To reduce his argument to a (false) simplistic and value laden allegation of prejudice is to show both a complete lack of understanding of the work and a disrespect for or ignorance of the extensive research, and the collection of and rational assessment of evidence within culture, geography, history, religion, colonisation and more. It sadly and wrongly depicts what is a wholly fascinating and well presented theory addressing the question of why white and European races appear to have dominated black and African & Asian races when all originated at approximately the same time and with *equal potential*.(less)

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Andrew In what way are my words an "allegation of prejudice?" I'm saying his work (or at least part of his work) is inaccurate, not bigoted. Diamond argues t ...more
Dec 17, 2015 01:14PM

Roger Your argument or justification here is very different to what you wrote originally and to what I responded, i.e. "How does this square with Diamond's ...more
Apr 07, 2022 12:54AM

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Guns, Germs, and Steel

by Jared Diamond

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