Posted: November 15th, 2020
The Physiologist Jared Diamond argued in 1999 that agriculture
Second Take-home exam
The Physiologist Jared Diamond argued in 1999 that agriculture was “the worst mistake in the history of the human race.”
the adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered. With agriculture came the gross social and sexual inequality, the disease and despotism, that curse our existence.
…
Besides malnutrition, starvation, and epidemic diseases, farming helped bring another curse upon humanity: deep class divisions. Hunter-gatherers have little or no stored food, and no concentrated food sources, like an orchard or a herd of cows: they live off the wild plants and animals they obtain each day. Therefore, there can be no kings, no class of social parasites who grow fat on food seized from others. Only in a farming population could a healthy, non-producing elite set itself above the disease-ridden masses.
His full article is here. (Links to an external site.) Your task is to discuss, and assess, the strengths and weaknesses of Diamond’s argument, using the readings from our course so far. What is he insightful about? What does he miss or ignore? Pay attention to evidence. The one restriction on your answer is that because this is an exam about the world before the industrial revolution, you are asked to confine your discussion of evidence and events before 1800. Any reference to facts or events since 1800 will be ignored in grading your exam.
As always, cite carefully and quote as useful. You are always welcome to bring in additional material (with careful crediting and referencing) but this is not meant to be a research project. It is a way you pull together the material we have read in this course so far.
About 1,000 words.
