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Exactly how far would Europe have gotten with inventing those things if it hadn't built upon the numerous mathematical, scientific, and technological achievemen
by Chinjut 10y ago
Exactly how far would Europe have gotten with inventing those things if it hadn't built upon the numerous mathematical, scientific, and technological achievements of India, China, the Arab world, etc.? [Perhaps, counterfactually cut off from the rest of the world, Europe would've eventually rediscovered everything on their own anyway. Well, the same can be supposed in reverse, then...]
If the bulk of technological accomplishments of recent centuries were made in European and European-derived countries in recent centuries... well, that's because those happened to be the affluent regions of the times, the result of being the ones that colonized and ran roughshod over the rest of the world. But there's no reason to suppose non-white people were/are somehow intrinsically less capable of innovation.
- tremon 10y agothere's no reason to suppose non-white people were/are somehow intrinsically less capable of innovation. The GP didn't say that they were.
- Chinjut 10y agoNot explicitly, but it is implied by what was said, particularly in context. European civilization invented all these great things and non-Europeans on their own would be mired in dirt and ignorance, therefore European civilization is humanity's greatest achievement, etc.
- tremon 10y agoSomehow I completely missed the GP's last sentence. I agree, that was unnecessary and likely untrue.
- Chinjut 10y ago"of recent centuries... in recent centuries" Whoops! Redundancy it's too late to edit. Oh well...