James Blaut: Environmental Determinism

In this source review, James Blaut views that natural environment played a major part in Europe, according to two bestselling books: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond and The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David Landes. The review states that European culture flourished because of the environmental determinism. Blaut goes through many points to prove that Europe grew from environmentalism. This source believes that historians viewed that the Europeans were favored in the eyes of a Christian god. The god made them the superior race. People showed a religious viewing to Europeans and believed environmental determinism as atheistic and materialistic. Throughout the years, religious explanations became unpopular. Then, people started to believe that the superiority was based on race and environment.

392). Most of history happened in the Eurasia portion of the world. Diamond states that human progress was helped by three ultimate causes: “the shape of the continents, the distribution of domestication, and geographical barriers that inhibit diffusion” (pg. 393). These causes helped the rise of food production. The climate of the countries helps in relation to the distribution of food in many countries. Diamond gives a main point of cultivation coming from the Fertile Crescent. He uses diffusion, not when it is convenient for him, but appeals that diffusion grew rapidly. When Diamond does not mention diffusion or mentions very little of it, Diamond’s theory ends with many miscalculations. His theory leads to things such as invention and innovation. In Blaut’s review, environmental causes were found for topographical reasons. Imprecise observations from Diamond argues Eurocentric world history. He viewed his work using natural science. According to Blaut, Diamond was using bad science. His findings state natural science and ignore a social science