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Effects of culture on society
Evolution of the human species
Effects of culture on society
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Author Yuval Noah Harari has a unique way of reviewing the past fourteen billion years in his monograph Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. His intention for writing this book is mainly to bring up the conversation of the human condition and how it has affected the course of history. In this case, the human condition coincides with the inevitable by-products of human existence. These include life, death, and all the emotional experiences in between. Harari is trying to determine how and why the events that have occurred throughout the lives of Homo Sapiens have molded our social structures, the natural environment we inhabit, and our values and beliefs into what they are today.
The subtitle, A Brief History of Humankind is not an exaggeration.
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For example, chapter 4 brings up the question of how much Homo Sapiens played a role in the extinction of most of the large marsupial mammals in Australia. The evidence is presented that, after Homo Sapiens arrived on the continent of Australia, “of the twenty-four Australian animal species weighing 100 pounds or more, twenty-three became extinct” (65). This is the type of evidence that cannot be disputed. It is a literal fact that certain areas with large mammal populations experienced a decrease in those populations upon the arrival of Homo Sapiens. Thus it is posited that humans have been a strong antagonist to other species for many thousands of …show more content…
It compels the reader to think more about and to analyze the information they are given from a new perspective. One idea that the author shares is that “Biology enables; Culture forbids” (147). When a certain culture prohibits something because it is “unnatural”, its reasons are most likely of a religious origin that condemns anything that is deemed bad in the eyes of their god. In reality, nothing can be unnatural because that would mean going against the laws of nature, which is impossible. This logic only gives more merit to the fact that no one is genetically programmed to discriminate, but rather prejudice is something that is learned and instilled by
Jared Diamond, author of the Pulitzer Prize Winning, National Best Selling book Guns, Germs and Steel, summarizes his book by saying the following: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Guns, Germs and Steel is historical literature that documents Jared Diamond's views on how the world as we know it developed. However, is his thesis that environmental factors contribute so greatly to the development of society and culture valid? Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History is the textbook used for this class and it poses several different accounts of how society and culture developed that differ from Diamond's claims. However, neither Diamond nor Traditions are incorrect. Each poses varying, yet true, accounts of the same historical events. Each text chose to analyze history in a different manner. Not without flaws, Jared Diamond makes many claims throughout his work, and provides numerous examples and evidence to support his theories. In this essay, I will summarize Jared Diamond's accounts of world history and evolution of culture, and compare and contrast it with what I have learned using the textbook for this class.
years ” (Quimby 2), since this epoch involved the fundamental evolution of mankind to the present. It is important to
What more is the point of learning and understanding human history than obtaining the knowledge and structure between what is right and what is wrong? We continuously believe that we as humans have the ability and intellect to learn from the lessons taught in our past in order to enrich our future. In comparison to the time frame that is human history the one hundred year period of time we discussed in the second halve of this semester is nothing but a slight blimp on the map that we have traversed. Yet, throughout our recent readings we can easily assimilate into the idea that although time may pass, and that we may attempt to learn from our history it is simply in human nature to repeat the mistakes that we have
Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
Human characteristics have evolved all throughout history and have been manipulated on a global scale through the use of science and technology. Genetic modification is one such process in which contemporary biotechnology techniques are employed to develop specific human characteristics. Despite this, there are a countless number of negative issues related with genetic modification including discrimination, ethical issues and corruption. Hence, genetic modification should not be used to enhance human characteristics.
This paper has shown how Homo sapiens had several advantages over the Neanderthals including better diets, better tools and just better luck. The Neanderthals could not survive the harsh climates they were thrust into and eventually died out. In this paper I looked at how Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis had co-existed but the disappearance of the Neanderthal ius due in some part to the appearance of the more culturally advanced and genetically superior Homo sapiens. Although the How and Why of how Neanderthals went extinct, it is clear that Homo sapiens had a part in their demise. In the last one hundred and fifty years that we have been studying humans we have seen them come from savage brutes, to Homo sapiens respectable contemporary. If we had not gotten lucky in the past, Neanderthals could be studying us today.
As the earliest extinct human relatives to become known to science, the Homo neanderthalensis have snatched a relatively iconic influence in human evolutionary investigations. A significance that has been enormously reinforced by the substantial behavioral and fossil record that has expanded since the original Feldhofer Cave skullcap and partial skeleton were unexpectedly uncovered in 1856, by miners working in Germany’s Neander Valley (Tattersall & Jeffrey 1999: 7117-7119). ‘The Neanderthals’ is the informal classification of a particular group of large-brained hominids whom inhabited Europe and Western Asia between 130,000 to around 35,000 years ago. Complementary human populations lived at the same time in Africa and Asia. The Neanderthals were a highly successful race for a substantial period of time, but this situation chang...
Humans, since the beginning of our first civilization and throughout the history of mankind, have always strived for a perfect world that would secure our society’s interests. Whether they are beneficial to a small group or the whole society, those interests will guide and shape the future of this new society. As of today, human civilization has never before seen an advancement of as many aspects of our lives from living commodities, entertainment, services, technologies, and so on that seem to reflect a promising world of the future. However, at the same time, human history has also witnessed great turmoil and many setbacks in our society ranging from small-scale problems such as immorality, variant of discriminations, financial crisis to
In this essay, I will be arguing about humanity’s spiritual evolution. For humanity to evolve spiritually, it must go from an inferior state to a superior state. First, I will defend my conclusion by stating my reasons to support my conclusion. I will defend them and expand as well as explain what I mean. Before going in depth of my claims, I will first clarify critical terminology such as “moral evil” and “natural evil”. Finally, I will touch on some oppositions regarding any of my claims.
In his lecture, primatologist Robert Sapolsky explains the uniqueness of humans as well as our similarities to other primates. In doing so, he broke it down into six points of interest: aggression, theory of mind, the golden rule, empathy, pleasure in anticipation and gratification postponement, and lastly, culture. Professor Sapolsky approaches each point with interesting fact-based examples thus allowing me to gain insight on humans and other primates. Sapolsky’s knowledge of primates along with his scientific background allows him to make a clear argument that one cannot simply ignore.
Post humanism emphasizes how humans have changed in the way we understand ourselves, and how we perceive our relationship to society and to the natural world. Transhumanism has gone a step further, believing that we must realize our potential to change what we are, that through the use of technology, we can actually transmute into something more than our present selves (Bognar, 2012). With the passing of each century, the connection between the human relationship to the natural world continues to change. In addition, our perception of the natural world changes too. Repeatedly, we emphasize what makes each human special, as well as what sets each of us apart, not only from each other, but from the natural
Our Earth is dated around 4.5 billion years old. Homo Sapiens, 250,000 years ago. In this macrocosmic time frame, our recorded history spans a mere 5,000 years. This knowledge contextualizes the limited nature of present human cognizance. Understanding human folly and wider perspectives becomes necessary in analyzing Ben Singer’s work Melodrama and Modernity, as he attempts to define modernity in contrast to this universal antiquity. Singer portrays modernity as something fluid, saying “Modernity is ostensibly a temporal concept” (Singer 17). The truth is modernity is a pattern that transcends time. Singer fancies modernity as a straight line progressing from caveman to businessman. John Anthony West, an author and Egyptological researcher
The following information is a researched paper on the conditions and evolution that made human beings. There of course comes great controversy with this topic. Many scientists and people in general see the human race as completely evolved. The main and simple argument of anti evolution-debaters is that there is no record of humans evolving drastically in recent history. Another common argument is simply why are there still monkeys if we have evolved from them? This paper will provide evidence that proves these assumptions wrong. significant research has been done to show that we are, in fact, still evolving.
The term serves as an alternate for other phrases referring to the era of modern man, such as “anthropocene” or “capitolocene,” which Haraway disagrees with. Rather than the ominous implications of the anthropocene and capitalocene, the Chthulucene is precarious, but not yet doomed because it consists of “ongoing multispecies stories and practices.” The concept of the Chthulucene implies a one-ness shared by all beings, human and non-human. By rejecting the anthropocene and capitolocene, Haraway also rejects the notion that dictates define the age we are currently living. “Anthro-“ and “capital-“ place a certain amount of blame on single entities, namely humans and capitalism, but in the rest of her work, Haraway suggests that recognizing unity and networks is ultimately more important than assigning fault. While the other terms seem to identify a cause for the modern age, Haraway’s Chtulucene emphasizes a method of thinking about and living with the present. In Haraway’s view, the Chtulucene is a vital part of reimagining our existence in the world. She goes on to discuss “tentacular thinking” and “making kin” as other aspects that are key to creating a sustainable world. In order to continue existing,
About fifty thousand years ago, the human cultures started to be more and more similar to modern culture. The hominids killed animals not only to feed themselves but also for the production of clothing (Pickrell, 2006). The hominids had the sense of shame. They used hides to cover their body. Besides, the hominids have the thought to bury their companions (Pickrell, 2006). It is an idea of group or family. With the final formation of human society, people developed and valued quickly. The oldest cave painting had more than thirty-three thousand years’ history (Pickrell, 2006). It is the proof of original humans’ pursuit of art. Almost ten thousand years ago, the systematic agriculture appeared, developed and spread with an amazing speed (Pickrell, 2006). Humans started to plant cereal and raise and train livestock. After that, the Bronze Age carried on the Stone Age (Pickrell, 2006). The change of tool materials helped people have higher efficiency when they were working. At the same time, the first recorded human culture appeared in Mesopotamia (Pickrell, 2006). Until this time point, human beings finished their evolution from ancient apes to modern humans. The process, which had experienced more than hundreds million years, was the most wonderful evolution on the