This week we were exposed to some eye-opening material on the History and Future of Technology and Civilization. When Prof showed us the documentary, “Guns, Germs and Steel”, Yali’s question also resonated within me and invoked a burning desire in me to find out more about why the West has dominated the world and why inequality has enveloped the globe.
In class, we discussed reasons for this inequality such as endowment of natural resources, climate, necessity, organized systems that fully utilized the potentials of citizens, ingenuity and the courage to innovate and explore. We also touched upon the stereotype of superiority of the West and the fact that it was actually the East that enlightened the West in many ways.
I would like to focus this blog’s attention on ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’, as I find that it has impacted me the most.
(Farming), Guns, Germs and Steel
As I watched the documentary and read the excerpts from Jared Diamond’s fascinating book, I was taken by surprise. I had no idea that Geography could have such a great impact on the world.
I learnt that the ability of civilizations to progress depended on their ability to provide excess food for ‘specialists’ and innovators through efficient agriculture. For this, they had to be endowed with efficient and nutritious crops as well as domesticable animals. Specialists would in turn be able focus on inventing metal tools and developing key skills such as writing.
Farming and knowledge were also most effectively spread amongst the Eurasian countries which were located in the ‘Fertile Crescent’. This caused civilization to flourish in this region.
In the case of the supremacy in conquest, the Spaniards (and Europeans at large) developed superior weapons such as guns and swords through continuous improvement in steel technology over a long period of time. They also achieved great battle prowess through the use of horses and written strategies.
I also learnt that the Eurasians had developed genetic resistance to deadly infectious diseases such as small pox through the survival of the fittest over thousands of years of epidemics caused by transfer of germs from livestock. This immunity was nonexistent in other continents as they had never encountered such diseases. Thus, the majority of populations in these regions were wiped out once the Eurasians transferred these diseases to them.
It took the Renaissance and Revolutions to propel the West out of its hunter-gatherer existence and it was especially the Industrial Revolution that catalyzed the Europeans’ exponential increase in dominance of the globe.
I found it heart-breaking to learn that Zambia’s enormous potential has been continuously beaten down by the power of germs – the killer disease - malaria. I strongly hope that Malaria gets exterminated and brings in a new era of productivity, prosperity and wealth in the region.
I must say that I am relieved that this explanation of global inequality does not stand on racial differences!
The ‘Timeline of Time’ and ‘Agriculture and the Origins of Civilization’ exposed gaps in my knowledge of human history and agriculture and brought this knowledge into perspective.
It was fascinating to learn about how the Middle East dominated in the fields of Mathematics, Science and Medicine and imparted this knowledge to the Europe allowing it to emerge from the Dark Ages!
I look forward to having discussions about the emerging technologies and their future ethical and social consequences.
I would also like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting my classmates and forming a Project group with such a diverse and affable group of individuals!
I'd give this session a 9/10.
Shaakalya Pathak
TWC G11 - 21st August 2011 - 1425hrs
No comments:
Post a Comment