Jullian Von Barbier Professor Evans English Composition 10/25/15 History: From Past to Progress Without historical advances in food or exploration, your life would not be as it is today. These faculties have drastically improved each and every one of our lives and will continue to do so as long as these pillars of civilization are kept erect. Sources that take issue with these topics include Kincaid’s “The Ugly Tourist,” and Diamond’s “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race.” These sources will be looked at critically and their arguments will be analyzed in a way to show that these authors have no merit in their arguments they present in regards to mistakes of mankind. Such important advancements like agriculture have had their…
Recent studies are focused on an important question regarding civilization: “Will civilization fall to an irreversible doom?” There have been countless examples of societal collapse for many reasons and it all comes down to one conclusion. Progress will lead to our nigh collapse, thus, making it a trap. The very start of civilization can be traced back to when agriculture first started. Jared Diamond claims in his article, “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race,” that agriculture is…
Many people view agriculture as the key to success in human history and that it ultimately led humans to become civilized. In fact, the reasons are plausible. With agriculture present, humans were able to efficiently find food and store crops. Their unoccupied time was used to create marvelous architecture, compose musical masterpieces, and much more that we associate with the unique attributes that separate humans from animals. However, with good follows bad. In Jared Diamond’s article The…
For millennials, humans have become irrefutably superior compared to their apelike forbears by means of physical prowess and mental agility. From the early nomads who constantly traveled and foraged in search for food sources, humans quickly adapted to the practice of growing crops, agriculture. Agriculture led to the settlement of larger, more organized groups who were able to farm and create a surplus of food supply. This revolutionary advance altered the way in which humans lived…
Moderator: Welcome to the 2016 agriculture debate. Tonight we will hear from two sides of the argument. I’d like to introduce you to Hank Garrett and Andy Grainfield . Hank Garrett is going to debate that agriculture was the worst mistake we made, and Andy is going to debate why it was a good thing for humans. We will start with Hank. (HG) There are many positive aspects of the hunter and gatherer way of life. Hunter and Gatherers had an easier life than we do now. They didn’t have as much…
As explained in his infamous essay, “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race,” Jared Diamond argues that the adoption of agriculture led to many negative consequences that have hindered the general livelihood of humans. His argument is based on the comparison of the lifestyles of agriculture-based societies and hunter-gatherers, claiming that the latter lacked many of the challenging aspects that emerged with the beginnings of domestication and civilization. Diamond’s main points of…
The Neolithic Revolution created a shift in human history, taking place in 10,000 B.C.E. altering the way early humans lived. Before this event, homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers and were nomadic people. It was customary for the men to hunt for animals and for women to gather nuts, berries, etc. The Neolithic Revolution introduced agriculture and domestication, which allowed humans to no longer be nomadic. It was a much easier way of life and required less work at the time. Jared Diamond, a…
For my first article, I chose "The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race" by Jared Diamond, regarding how on the surface agriculture would seem an obvious choice but if you dig deeper you may find proof that, that was not the case. As Diamond points out, progressivist claim that evolving from hunter and gatherers to becoming farmers was a win, win. It gave them more food to feed their tribes and more free time for leisurely things such as art. Diamond disagrees with this and so do I on…
“The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race” by Jared Diamond 1. What is the difference between a. and a. What is the main thesis of Diamond’s article? The thesis of Diamond’s article is that the adoption of agriculture, a seemingly large step toward a better life for humans at the time in efficiency and standard of living, backfired largely in many ways, such as long term sexual inequality, disease, and a decline in overall health/fitness. Supporting textual evidence includes the…
Throughout history, humanity has evolved from being hunter-gatherers to the agricultural farmers they are today as modernization improves greatly year-by-year. After reading Diamond’s piece, “The Worst Mistake in the Human History of the Human Race”, and Horowitz’s article, “Convenient Meat”, one can see the benefits and disadvantages that have been brought upon from modernization in our food flows and commodity chains. Modernization is created through the motivation and drive to make…