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Guns, Germs and Steel and Research Paper
Pages:5 (1840 words)
Sources:4
Subject:People
Topic:Jared Diamond
Document Type:Research Paper
Document:#76604178
As the world is more thoroughly explored, social scientists seem to find that the words social and science are largely contradictory and an oxymoron. Even rational choice theory bases its conclusions upon statistics and upon a costs and benefits analysis to come up with their conclusions in a more logical manner. Simply put, rationality can not be directly tested. Rather, social scientists that base their ideas upon rational choice theory build dependable and testable models.
In Guns, Germs and Steel, there are no testable models. There are no alternative models whatsoever. The determinism of Mr. Diamond's theory makes his reasoning circular, and therefore not able to be tested. This is what makes his effort amateur history. It is possible that the book due to its apparent originality garnered some awards. However, while Mr. Diamond's efforts to put the science in social science is laudable, it is largely amateurish in its methods and scope and belongs squarely with the group of pseudo-historical and pseudoscientific tomes that gather dust and small change at the local second hand shop. In this author's opinion, the work belongs there and not in the college library.
Works Cited
"Ancient Greece: Sparta." Ancient Greece. Available from http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/GREECE/SPARTA.HTM. Internet; accessed 1 May 2010.
Diamond, Jared.
1997. Guns Germs and Steel. New York: WW. Norton.
Downs, Robert.
2004. Books That Changed the World. New York: Signet.
Fettweis, Christopher. "Eurasia, the "World Island": Geopolitics, and Policymaking in the
21st Century." Global Research.ca. Available from http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=2095. Internet; accessed 1 May 2010.
Hunt, Terry. "Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island." American Scientist. Available from http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/issue.aspx?id=1002&y=2006&no=5&content=true&page=5&css=print. Internet; accessed 1 May 2010.
Seaver, Kirsten.
2004. Maps, Myths, and Men: the Story of the Vinland Map. Stanford:
Storey, Alice et al.. "PNAS.org." Radiocarbon and DNA evidence for a pre-Columbian
introduction of Polynesian chickens to Chile. Available from http://www.pnas.org/content/104/25/10335.full. Internet; accessed 1 May 2010.
Sample Source(s) Used
Works Cited
"Ancient Greece: Sparta." Ancient Greece. Available from http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/GREECE/SPARTA.HTM. Internet; accessed 1 May 2010.
Diamond, Jared.
1997. Guns Germs and Steel. New York: WW. Norton.
Downs, Robert.
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