Guns Germs And Steel
Sydney Fiddes
Mr.Plouffe Social 101
3/25/15
Guns, Germs and Steel
Theory of Geographic Luck “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo, but we black people had little cargo of our own?” A man asked Jared Diamond this question, thinking it would be a simple reply, Mr.
Diamond began to think of an answer. Not realizing it would take a lot more thought and discovery than he thought. Diamond knew that the answer had little to do with ingenuity or individual skill. From his own experience in the jungles of New Guinea, he had observed that native huntergatherers were just as intelligent as people of European descent, and far more resourceful. Their lives were tough, and it seemed terrible to him that these extraordinary people should be the conquered, and not the conquerors. He argues that Eurasian civilization is not a product of ingenuity but of opportunity and necessity. So civilization is not created out of superior intelligence but is the result of chain developments, each made possible by certain preconditions. Although agriculture grew in other parts of the world, Eurasia gained an advantage with their discovery to domesticate animals. With their wide range of animals available for domestication, it was easier for them to get a headstart over other societies. Eurasia also used their different kinds of plants to their advantage, such as barley. Eurasian grains were richer in protein and easier to store than American maize or tropical bananas. Surplus frees people so they can specialize in other activities other than sustenance and supports population growth. The combination of population growth and specialization leads to the accumulation of social and technological innovations which build on each other. Large societies enforce ruling classes and supporting bureaucracies, which in turn lead to the organization of nationstates and empires. Geographic luck refers to the placement of
Mr.Plouffe Social 101
3/25/15
Guns, Germs and Steel
Theory of Geographic Luck “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo, but we black people had little cargo of our own?” A man asked Jared Diamond this question, thinking it would be a simple reply, Mr.
Diamond began to think of an answer. Not realizing it would take a lot more thought and discovery than he thought. Diamond knew that the answer had little to do with ingenuity or individual skill. From his own experience in the jungles of New Guinea, he had observed that native huntergatherers were just as intelligent as people of European descent, and far more resourceful. Their lives were tough, and it seemed terrible to him that these extraordinary people should be the conquered, and not the conquerors. He argues that Eurasian civilization is not a product of ingenuity but of opportunity and necessity. So civilization is not created out of superior intelligence but is the result of chain developments, each made possible by certain preconditions. Although agriculture grew in other parts of the world, Eurasia gained an advantage with their discovery to domesticate animals. With their wide range of animals available for domestication, it was easier for them to get a headstart over other societies. Eurasia also used their different kinds of plants to their advantage, such as barley. Eurasian grains were richer in protein and easier to store than American maize or tropical bananas. Surplus frees people so they can specialize in other activities other than sustenance and supports population growth. The combination of population growth and specialization leads to the accumulation of social and technological innovations which build on each other. Large societies enforce ruling classes and supporting bureaucracies, which in turn lead to the organization of nationstates and empires. Geographic luck refers to the placement of