Does African History Disprove Jared Diamond’s Theory That Guns, Germs and Steel Explain Western Dominance?

Cynical Historian: “There’s a question in the history profession that if sufficiently answered could not only reshape how we conceive ourselves but reveal the best course of action for politics around the world. What makes the West strong? While there are many answers, the most popular of these has been Jared Diamond’s “Guns Germs and Steel.” You’ll see his argument all over the place, including a NatGeo documentary. But of course, it has its detractors, to the point that some historians consider it pseudo-history. Now I think that’s going too far, but there are enough problems with his thesis that we can’t take it as the final answer to these questions. So let’s talk about that.”

He refers to Diamond’s theories of