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Originally Posted by J. R. B.
Don't forget the wheel, that simple labor saving device. The American Indian did not have the wheel. Why? I have pondered this for many years.  |
Good point. I think the underlying debate concerns the nature of the 'causes' that produce social dominance. Jared is a scientist and materialist in his explanations. It's either geography, germs, climate, or access to certain natural resources for him. Stark seems to be appealing to ideas. I need to read his whole book but I'm definitely not very convinced so far. He claims Augustine is a rationalist of sorts, but Augustine's view of original sin infects all of intellectual life with a moral defect so I don't see him as a great hero of rational theology. I also am not convinced that 'Christianity' can get the credit for 'rational theology'. It was those pagan greeks who pushed that development. Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and friends don't appeal to holy texts to justify their ideas. I do agree with Stark that Weber's view that the Protestant Ethic drove capitalism is not very credible. I don't see how accumulating wealth helped reassure they protestants they were bound for heaven.
The other issue is that of 'accident'. A dimwitted European neanderthal stumbles across the wheel and the travoise culture of NA indians is destined for oblivion. Or, as koop points out, a few good years of weather helps the Europeans cross over some crucial population barrier and the rest of the world ends up speaking English.
There are similar debates about the decline of the Islamic Empire and rise of Europe. I've tried to argue that the distribution of coal deposits (there are not that many in the Islamic world and a lot in Europe) helps explain the decline of Islam but I've never gotten very far with that.