Context with Brad Harris Plagues and Peoples, by William McNeill
Sep 5, 2018
The podcast explores the impact of diseases throughout history, including their influence on the rise and fall of empires such as the Roman and Aztec Empires. It discusses how diseases have shaped human civilization and spread as populations grew. The podcast also covers the devastating effects of plagues on Mediterranean lands, including the collapse of the Roman Empire. Additionally, it examines the role of diseases in the overwhelming of Native Americans by Europeans and how it influenced European dominance.
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Disease Shapes History and Civilization
- Disease has been a major determinant in humanity's history, often more than war or politics.
- Science and medicine have gradually reduced disease's crippling power over civilizations.
Disease in Conquest of America
- Disease transmission was crucial in Hernando Cortez's conquest of the Aztec Empire.
- Epidemics decimated native populations and psychologically destabilized their societies, easing Spanish control.
Reciprocal Evolution of Disease and Civilization
- Disease and civilization evolved reciprocally, shaping each other.
- McNeil criticized environmental determinism for ignoring this two-way relationship.