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practical_romantic  1yr ago (text post)   3307 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 23, 2022

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Ah, I haven't read Guns, Germs and Steel since AP World History. Great book for that kind of class. I think it's really appealing in a "grand theory" sense, especially as an introduction to that genre of history. I have complicated feelings about grand theorizing, probably due to hanging around this community too long, but it's enjoyable and, as far as I know, plausible.

I’ve read some other geographic-determinist stuff, that overlaps with Mearsheimerian, realist international politics. I think there is merit in the view, though as you say, generalists and grand-theorists of all stripes encounter problems.

Part of GGS is undoubtedly valid and it's a worthwhile read, however he discounts biology and also endorses complete howlers such as that Papuans are smarter than any other race (yes, that).

I’m not all the way through, but is this from the intro? A bit uncharitable to suggest that wasn’t just his enthusiastic assertion of non-Europeans being as smart as Europeans.

He said:

He and I both knew perfectly well that New Guineans are on the average at least as smart as Europeans. [...]

In fact, as I shall explain in a moment, modern "Stone Age" peoples are on the average probably more intelligent, not less intelligent, than industrialized peoples. [...]

That is, in mental ability New Guineans are probably genetically superior to Westerners, and they surely are superior in escaping the devastating developmental disadvantages under which most children in industrialized societies now grow up.

It is not uncharitable to take people at their word.

He loses all credibility from the get-go.

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