If you missed any part of the documentary “Guns, Germs, and
Steel” that we watched in class, please go to the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyRa5P6xVo8 to catch up.
Your homework this week will be graded as a test grade (worth one-half
the value of a typical test) so please give your best effort!
Having heard Dr. Jarod Diamond's explanation of how some civilizations, especially those in the Middle East, were blessed with all the things necessary to progress faster than others, how would you answer the following questions?
1) Do you believe Dr. Diamond's explanation or do you believe something else explains the disparities between cultures? What was the strongest part of his argument? What was the weakest?
2) What are the resources societies need today to advance at a rapid pace? Because of global trade and the easy access to information, shouldn't all societies be able to advance at similar rates? Or are some societies doomed to fall behind others?
3) How does Dr. Diamond's information about the Middle East help to explain God's plan for humanity after the flood? Do you see proof of God's blessings in the lives of Biblical characters such as Abraham?
Remember, at least 250 words, responses to at least two other essays (responses totalling 150 words - due Sunday night, September 2). You will be graded for the quality of your analysis, the clarity and quality of your writing, and the extent to which you answer the questions you have been asked. Good luck!
Question 1: I do believe that Dr. Diamonds explanation of how some civilizations progressed faster than others is correct because he explains how we have more resources and more people with knowledge of how to make things like steel, different kinds of food and other things that are important in our society.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: Some of The resources that you need today to advance at a rapid pace are people that know how to do different things like blacksmiths gunsmiths Etc. and you need things for those people to make stuff with. And I think the reason all societys progress at a different rate is they cant afford to trade and even if they know how to make things like steel, guns and other stuff they don’t have the resources to make it and again cant afford to import resources
Question 3: I think god wants every society to be good at different thinks. Like we wouldnt begin to know how to build a hut or house in the wilderness with our bear hands. As it shows in the video everyone can do it in new guinea
You made a good point about some societies needing to be good at different things. Good answer!
DeleteGood job, Austin. I also agree with Dr. Diamond about the disparities between cultures.
DeleteGreat job on your essay, Austin. I think Dr. Diamond's argument about the disparities between cultures is also accurate.
DeleteGuns, Germs and Steel is a very interesting movie clip. Obviously, I believe we all know the main question, “Why do the white men have so much, while the black men don’t?” Dr. Diamond explained it in great detail and also used much information to back up what he believed. I agree with what he believes and how he explained things. The strongest part of his argument or the main point of his argument is that question that I stated at the beginning. It seems like that question challenged Dr. Diamond and he felt he had to discover an answer. I think the Stone Age people who were the first farmers (this goes along with question 2) did stay behind although they were the first farmers. Therefore, those people would have to learn and discover betters ways in order to do it better so I think that could have made them a little slow in the “race.” Some societies are kind of behind because of their location and how they use the “old” ways of doing things. I am very surprised that in the video it said the women did all the work while the men were hunting. I thought that was interesting and how it is opposite in North America. Question 3 is a very good and hard question. God has established how he wants man and women and production to be from the beginning. From the Garden of Eden he had a plan specifically for man and for women. When Adam disobeyed, God added more labor and more pain to everything it was no longer going to be a perfect world. After the flood everything was destroyed so to me it almost seemed like God gave man a new slate to go from although there would still be pain and suffering. After the flood they were blessed with fertile land and crops. But, In everything we see God’s blessings. Life itself is a blessing so even in these countries that aren’t as fortunate as ours are still blessed! Including us!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your essay Bethany and I agree with you a lot. Some Peoples are just behind regardless.
DeleteYou had some great points in your essay Bethany! I liked your answer to question number three about how in everything we see God's blessings.
DeleteI really liked you essay! I agree with Lexie, you had a good answer to question number three.
DeleteGreat job on your essay, Bethany. Your essay was composed well and full of great information about the subject.
DeleteQuestion one. Yes, I do Dr. Diamond's explanations are correct about the disparities between culture. Because he has been studying and researching this for a very long time. The strongest part of his arguments is how he has actually gone and talked to all the people. Question two, Some resources societies need today to advance faster today is that they need to get out of these little hut’s and start getting some industry up in there. And most just need to start with some electricity. I feel like just because most people have access to information doesn’t mean that all do. I mean some people are still in their old ways of living or just how their entire society is still enjoying or stuck there. So I think it would be hard for them to advance if they don’t have all the access that others have because not everybody is blessed enough to have everything we do. In this video it talks about how the women did a lot of the so called “mans” work while the men were out hunting. It makes me happy that I live in the U.S.A. Yea, I think that some societies are going to be behind others for all time. Number three was kind of hard for me. But God has everything how he wants it to be. From beginning to end, He has everything under control. God’s blessing is very present in everyone’s life from Adam to Moses. And even in our life’s today.
ReplyDeleteI agree Abby, I do think the fact that Dr.Diamond himself has gone and studied all the places he talks about helps his argument and theory.
DeleteI definetly agree with Dr.Diamond's theory. I think the strongest point in his argument is that in the atreas that geographicallly habve a harder time producing food are more focused on feeding themselves than writing a book. You can't do that until you have enough food for yourself aand your family and there are areas that can't produce food as easily and quickly as others.
ReplyDeleteToday to advance rapidly you need technology, lots and lots of technology. Despite global trade no I donj't think we should all be on the same level. More important, advanced countries are more occupied with advancing themselves as quick as possible so why would they want to waste time and money trying to catch others up? Some societies are doomed dto stay behind I think.
The fact that some societies prospered while others didn't shows God's plan for after the flood because the countries and places that developed are generally the places that God's people went to and lived. God promised Abraham he would bless his family and He defintely did bless Abraham and his family.
Great points Allisha! I feel like technology is a big part in making a society grow! I love yoiur thought that not all global trade has to be set at the same pace as other countries!
Delete1) Personally, I agree with Dr. Diamond. I believe people in the middle east and other areas were focused on farming and finding to survive than writing books and inventing stuff. The strongest part of his argument was probably the part where he said that women gathered food and farmed while the men hunted and gathered. This shows that there was a great need for hands to get the food. This was especially true when he mentioned the tree and how much food they get from the hard work of only one tree.
ReplyDelete2) Some resources needed for present day societies could be several different things. Societies today first off need people to work on farms, catch wild food and run the civilization. A society also needs natural resources and prosperous land. If the society is in the desert, it will be hard to grow food there. Even though trade is a huge part of our world today, some civilizations are so hard to reach that it’s nearly impossible to get to them. A well placed port is needed to trade easily.
3) After the tower of babel, the people scattered throughout the middle east, which DR. diamond shows in the video through the ruins of old civilizations, and even they had some technological advances. As people began to travel farther, they found new resources and new places to get other resources already discovered. These advances helped people in the west to advance faster as people strived to get land to the west.
Good essay! It was very informative and you had some really good points.
DeleteGreat job on your essay, Nathan. It was written well and full of information on the subject.
DeleteTo begin, I thought that Guns, Germs, and Steel by Dr. Jarod Diamond was very interesting and was centered on a topic that I hadn’t really thought much about. Now, on to the questions.
ReplyDelete1.) I definitely agree with Dr. Diamond’s theory about the disparities of cultures. I believe that he provided a lot of information and backed it up with an abundance of facts. With that being said, I believe his strongest point was about the need/ supply of food. The people were so focused on staying alive and searching for usable resources to keep their families and community members alive, while the other civilizations had very fertile and plentiful food and supplies. This allowed the civilizations with the resources more time to research and gain knowledge. I personally believe that Dr. Diamond’s weakest point is that some of his theories are just theories and his opinions. While he does have a lot of facts and research, he still has his own opinion that he voices in the documentary.
2.) I believe that the main resources needed for a society to progress today are electricity, modern technology, education, and a stable way to find and maintain food. I also believe that since some cultures don’t have access to technology and a lot of world trade it is harder for them to “keep up.” Geography and available resources also determine a large amount of how cultures grow and thrive. With this being said, some civilizations are perhaps “doomed” to fall behind.
3.) Question three was extremely difficult to answer. I am only human and have nowhere near the capability to ever fully comprehend God’s amazing plan for humanity. So, to answer this question, I believe that God has the ultimate plan for each society’s progression. I can definitely see proof of God’s blessings from the beginning to now. Every person in the world is blessed by each breathe we take- not by how prosperous or rich we are. I am extremely blessed to have been born in a very advanced country with freedoms that some only dream of.
Overall, I learned a lot from Guns, Germs, and Steel, and it gave me a new outlook on how blessed I truly am to live in such a developed nation.
Thank you,
Rebecca Dunmore
Really great points you made Becca! I definitly feel like Guns Germs and Steel has given me a new outlook on how blessed we really are! I love your answer for number two! I feel like the most important thing for them to do right now would be to find a more abundant and easily accecable food source so the people arent spending every minute of their day making the food eating the food making then eating the food..
DeleteGreat job on your essay, Rebecca! I agree with Kiersten. Guns, Germs, and Steel gave me a new view as to why there is inequality among the different cultures of the world. God does not always get the thanks He deserves for all that He does for us. We are very blessed to live in America. I loved your response to question number three! Not only was your essay neat and organized, but it also had some great points about how blessed we really are.
DeleteI believe Dr. Jarod Diamonds explanation because I feel that he has made a very good argument. He has lived in both countries, so he would know exactly what he was talking about. I guess his information was correct because he put the circumstances he was in and compared them to the bible. And I do see proof in biblical characters like Abraham. I see things like that today. The resources required for a civilization are A. Cities- live together in groups and all contribute in some way
ReplyDeleteB. Organized Government- any government that kept things in check and protective
C. Complex Religion- more than just believing in something, but having rituals
D. Job Specialization-different people having different jobs that contribute to the society such as masonry, and blacksmithingg
E. Social Classes- division of classes.
F. Arts and Architecture-more complex structures and artss
G. Public Works- building of roads, plumbing, irrigation
H. Writing or Written Language- Most important, you can’t be "civilized" by historian standards without a written language to pass ideas and history.
I believe Dr. Diamond's argument about the disparities between cultures is a good one. I believe it is a good one because it makes sense that the resources around you are what allow you or a civilization to progress. Dr. Diamond said the people (Israelites) in fertile crescent were geographically blessed, but sadly he didn't know what he was proving when he said it. He is an evolutionist and therefore his data is a little off. An example would be when he said the people from Papua New Guinea had been there for over 40,000 years. The highlight of Dr. Diamond's argument was the importance of food and how if you don't have control of your food source you don't have time to discover new things. Today our biggest resource is global trade. You woul think this would allow all civilizations to progress, but th reason it doesn't is because you must have something to trade with. Some countries simply do not have enough goods to trade and in return they don't recieve a sufficient amount of goods to keep up with the rest of the world. Based on Dr. Diamond's research, God's plan for us after the flood was for all the corners of the to be filled. You can see how God provided for His people because He gave them the best land and resources (wheat and barley). Overall, I think Dr. Diamonds research was full of good points. It's amazing to think about how people got in their positions today.
ReplyDelete1. I believe Dr. Diamonds OS right when he talks about the best and greatest civilizations are the ones who have the most resources. It only makes sense in that if you have all the plants and animals your group of people would domoinate every one else. A strong point he made was just the people in the world in general. The wealthy countries have the most resources. A weak point was he didn't explain why other countries could have the same resources. 2. Important resources on developing a strong and healthy civilization are things like a good food supply that can last through winter and is easy to grow. You would also need the right animals to harverst you crop or even just to eat. With the output of information it would seem that all walks of life should be at the same level when it comes to sophistication. This isn't always true though. Most poor countries lack the important things needed to gain this information. One example would be electricity. If they got this then they would be one step closer to competing with other countries. 3 Dr Diamonds explanation of the middle east shows that it was very fertile land. It could support many different types of plants. In the Bible Got caused the flood. Afterwards though he did have a good place for his people to live. This place had good soul and many animals that could be eaten or used for labor. The life of Abraham is a good example of God's blessings on the people of earth. The good land and animals is a key reason why we have the great civilizations today.
ReplyDeleteGuns, Germs, and Steel was very interesting to me. I agree with what Dr. Diamond believed about disparities between the cultures. He went into great depth to explain it. The main point of his argument was the question the man on the beach asked him which was, “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?” Dr. Diamond said that it seemed like it should be an easy question to answer but he had no clue what to say, which made him feel like he needed to find an answer. Some of the resources that are needed today to move at a fast pace are things that like petroleum and crops that can be used in many ways. In the video it said that in New Guinea they only grew bananas and taro which didn’t get them very far. In America we grew wheat and things that would go a long way. Dr. Diamond said that those who had the more productive crops became the most productive farmers. Even though now information is easy to access in most places, it isn’t available in all places. There are still some countries that don’t have access to modern technology. So no, not all societies are able to advance at similar rates and there are some that do fall behind because of that. After the flood, mankind was given a new beginning and they were to replenish the earth just like they were meant to do in the very beginning but because of their sinful nature, which came on mankind because of Adam, the sin cycle started again. Yes, Abraham received God’s blessings during his lifetime because of his obedience to God. He is still blessed today through his descendants. All of the Bible characters who chose to serve God walked in his blessings.
ReplyDeleteNice work Summer! You did a good job on your essay. It was very informative and it had some very good points. I could never imagine having to live like the people in New Guinea live. We take for granted things that we are blessed to have every day, like a home, car, food etc… This video helped me to see how blessed we truly are.
DeleteI believe much of what Dr. Diamond discovered about what caused the differences in the amount of cargo (material goods) that the people of difficult cultures have. By going back to the times when people had about the same amount of earthly goods, he started from that point to try to figure out what caused the differences. The strongest part of his argument was, where he talked about how your geographical location had an influence on your success of the civilization. If you lived on fertile soil, your civilization would be more likely to grow because you would make more food to feed your people and could make money to buy other things. I don't believe Dr. Diamond had much a weak point; I think he thoroughly explained most of his main points. Today, the resources we need to advance at a rapid pace still involve food and shelter. Without this we couldn't survive. We are very dependent on fossil fuels from the Middle East. Because of global trade and the Internet providing easy access of information, some societies will stall while others will advance at a faster rate to catch up with the societies that are ahead. Dr. Diamond's information about the Fertile Crescent, where Noah’s Ark ended up, shows that God provided the best land for Noah and his family to raise crops and animals. The Bible tells us that God blessed Abraham and many others who obeyed him. I think the video was very informative and I enjoyed watching it.
ReplyDeletegood essay! You really seem to know what your talking about.
DeleteIn the documentary, “Gun, Germs and Steel,” Dr. Jarred Diamond makes some very, valid points about the roots of inequality between the different cultures. His theory was that geography greatly determined the success of the development of ancient civilizations.
ReplyDeleteI think Dr. Diamond’s approach to Yami’s question was accurate. Hunters and gatherers who lived in areas with non-nutritious plants and wild animals spent all their time foraging for food. They had little time for anything else. Other people groups who lived in places with nutritious plants and a variety of animals that could be domesticated advanced faster than the others. For example, wheat and barley were plants that were nutritious and easy to grow. Farming these crops didn’t take the entire population which freed some of the people to work on establishing homes, tools, etc. Dr. Diamond’s weakest argument was that he did not take into account the part people play in the developing of government and religion.
Today cultures need abundant natural resources, advanced technology, and a strong work force to succeed. All societies are not able to advance equally, because they do not have the same resources. These people groups will inevitable fall behind. God greatly blessed the people of the Middle East with many good resources. This enabled people to grow their food and develop many skills. This led to trade and other advances. God’s Chosen people, the Israelites, were especially blessed. Today countries in the Middle East supply oil to most of the nations in the world. This has led to vast wealth in some of these countries. Just as in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God continues to prosper the people of this region.
1) I think that Dr. Jarred Diamond makes a fantastic arguement in the flim "Guns, Germs, and Steel". I agree with his explination. I think what made me like his arguement the best was that he went and spent time, lived like these people in the differnt countries that are less fortunate then us do, interacting with them in their daily lives. I think his strongest point was the supply and demand for food. They spend so much time making the food they eat that there isnt really any time for anything else. And I didnt see any majorly weak points in Diamonds arguement.
ReplyDelete2)Resources that this society needs would be an education, and a more abundant food souce (so they wounldnt be spending all day everyday making food for it to be all gone the next day) and some modern technology.
3)Diamond explains God's plan for humanity by showing that all humans have been blessed differntly all throughout the earth. You can very clearly see the blessings that God has given us today. Such as God blessing Abraham and all his decendents in Biblical times, and we are still recieving Gods great promises today!
1.) Dr. Jerod Diamond presents a good argument for why some cultures have prospered so much and others have prospered so little. I believe that Dr. Diamond is mostly right in his explanation of why the west has so much. His argument that good soil and cereal crops is a strong point of his argument. The one weakness behind his argument is that Dr. Diamond fails to recognize the important influence of religion on a culture for example; pagan naturalism and superstition have been held many cultures back for centuries.
ReplyDelete2.) One of the main things societies need to advance at a rapid pace is technology. Now days, much of how advanced a nation can be is determined by how advanced that nations technology is. Another important factor is the presence of oil, which brings in significant amounts of money for a nation. Other important factors to how a modern society advances are a good health care system, a strong scientific community, a good education system, and a strong military.
3.) I think that Dr. Diamond’s information about the Middle East shows how God had in mind to bring up a nation for himself and through that nation bring up a Savior named Jesus Christ to save all mankind from their sins and bring them back into a right relationship with. There is plenty of evidence of the blessings of God on Abraham and others in the Bible by the many ways He not only provided for them, over and above their needs.
Great essay Bobby. I think you know what you're talking about as well. I also agree that the presence of oil is a strong advantage of societies because oil is very costly and the people can make a lot of money on it.
DeleteSarah Flinchum- Sarah, I really enjoyed your essay for this week’s assignment! I think you made some excellent points and I definitely agree with you on Dr. Diamond’s weakest and strongest arguments. I definitely agree with your answer for question two about what a culture needs to succeed. Overall, I believe that we hold the same views on the different questions that Gun, Germs, and Steel asked. Anyway, great job on this week’s assignment!
ReplyDeleteAllisha turpin- For this week’s assignment, I also feel like we share the same views on the questions that were presented to us. I agree with you that technology is an extremely vital part of how a civilization develops today; technology plays a key role in a lot of the major incomes of the world. Overall, I loved your essay-great job!
Lydia Ramsey- I really enjoyed your essay this week as well. I liked your answer for what Dr. Diamond’s weakest point were- his evolutionary beliefs. Anyway, great job!
Kiersten Davis: Nice Essay! I thought it was very well put together and I thought it was very informative. I would have to agree with your statement that the main issue or concern would be the food situation and how the people was always looking and searching for food. I think your did great!
ReplyDeleteGreat Job Allisha!! I thought your essay was very very good. I really found it interesting on the statement about without food and writing a book. I thought that was an interesting point you made.
Lydia I loved your essays as always I think that it was very well written. I agree with all your points and everything you wrote. I lilke how you added the flood in your essay because that is a big event that happened and still effects us in today’s society! So great Job!!
I think that Dr. Diamond has a very good point and Idea about the cultures. Resources were defiantly a huge factor in how the cultures changed. In some countries, there are little to know natural resources, while others have lots. The drawback about living on a small island is that there is no place new to travel. If they did not learn how to build a boat, they would not be able to search for new land. If all the natural resources were used, there is no way to find more. Over time the land will sometimes almost “die” and become un-useful, sometimes forever. The first cultures would have to live day by day, not knowing if they will have food or water the next day. Another point is the weather. There is evidence that some tribes would move during different seasons. A lot would follow behind herds of animals for food. Tribes with little land to cover would not be able to survive in some seasons. The people would have to have accesses to food and clean water. If the food or water was contaminated, they have a chance of catching a disease. They also have to learn how to build tools and shelters. Using wood, stone, and bones, most tribes figured out how to make tools and use them. Each tribe would have different tools, and when tribes come together, they could trade or learn from each other. I do see blessings from God throughout humanity. He has a hand in everything, even in the speed cultures learn.
ReplyDelete