Environmental+determinism

=Environmental Determinism=

The central theme in Jared Diamond's __Guns, Germs, and Steel,__ environmental determinism is the link between the environment and the development of human societies. The Polynesian Islands provide an excellent natural example of the role of geography and climate. Within a small portion of the earth, a large variety of conditions are present. The people that inhabit this region stem from the same genetic ancestry, eliminating the argument of racial differences. As societies developed on the Polynesian islands, a plethora of differences appeared. Some societies formed egalitarian bands, while others began to form hierarchical proto-empires. These differences were caused by various available resources, relative isolation, and ability to plant crops. Nearly all developments in human society can be traced to an environmental origin. Eurasia was home to a huge number of the prized grains of the world, allowing the people to develop agriculture and all of the perceived advantages that come with it. The domestication of animals was also easier in Eurasia. In essence, geographic luck gave people certain advantages. As crowd diseases, weapons, and new technologies  formed in settled agricultural societies, they showed dominance over other societies, especially those still hunting and gathering. Environmental determinism goes a long way in explaining the reason for differences among human civilizations.

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Created by Becca Ellison September 4, 2008