The complex connections of geography, society and history

The history of human civilization is a fascinating network of events, developments and influences that span millennia. While some theories focus on the influence of individual personalities or cultural values, there are also approaches that emphasize the importance of geographical conditions and natural conditions. an important oneDenkers already over a hundred years ago emphasized the distinction between the art of describing the lives of individuals and the art of depicting the world on maps. This distinction opens up a perspective that helps to better understand the development of civilizations. It becomes clear that the story is not only due to the actions of individualsis shaped, but also essentially by the geographical conditions in which societies develop. This connection is complex, multi-layered and changes over time, with the focus on the interaction between geographical factors and social development.

The distinction between biography and geography

In 1905, the British writer and humorist Edmund Bentley formulated a well-known distinction that still plays a significant role in the history of the story. He noticed that the art of biography, i.e. telling about the lives of individuals, differs fundamentally from the art of geography. The biography deals with individualPersonalities whose fate, decisions and actions are the focus. Geography, on the other hand, deals with maps, geographical structures and spatial conditions that influence people’s lives. For a long time, the focus on the important men of the upper class, who made the course of their actions and decisions, dominated the story of history.of the events decisively determined. These groups of people were so formative that it hardly seemed possible to distinguish between individual fates and the great social developments. Only in the course of the 20th century did historians begin to take more into account the voices of women, less important men and children, which leads to a more differentiatedview of the past. Nevertheless, the assumption that the social structures and behavior of the large groups of people are essentially responsible for the development of history remains a central starting point. If one takes this conviction as a basis, only the maps, i.e. the geographical conditions, remain as keys to the differencesto explain between the companies.

The influence of the map on the history of human history

Many historians react to this view with great rejection or even with outrage. They argue that the assumption that the development is determined primarily by geographical factors is too simple an approach. For them it is one thing to recognize that individual important personalities have decisively influenced the course of history in the East and West.have influenced. However, it is a completely different matter to claim that cultural values and beliefs are unimportant and only material resources and geographical prerequisites are the decisive factors. This attitude is widespread, but at its core is exactly the direction I intend to take in this text. I would like to show that the socialDevelopment phases in the East and West have been under way in a comparable order in the last fifteen thousand years. Both regions were inhabited by people who had similar behaviors and characteristics, resulting in similar patterns in history. I will also show that social development in both parts of the world is not at the same timecompleted, but at different speeds and at different times. My approach is that human biological nature and sociological laws explain the commonalities in development around the world. The geographical conditions on site, on the other hand, are responsible for the differences and for the special position of the Westin world history. It is an interaction between these factors that shapes the large image.

The long tradition of geographical determinism

This view may sound like the prime example of a theory that attributes everything to the long duration of geographical influences. Already in ancient times there were thinkers who took this assumption. The Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC, is considered one of the first to influence the geographical location of the development of cultures andcompanies. He believed that soft countries with a pleasant climate and favorable location tend to lead to peaceful and culturally developed people, while hard, inhospitable areas produce rather rougher, warlike people. Herodotus believed that a country’s geographical nature significantly influences the course of its history. a special oneA well-known example of geographic determinism is the geographer Ellsworth Huntington, who collected numerous statistics around 1910 to prove that the climate in his hometown of New Haven in Connecticut is ideal for driving people to higher things. He believed that the climate in California would rather lead to a higher number of mental illnesses because itto uniformly stimulate and drive people like racehorses to the point of exhaustion. Although such theories seem naive today, they reflect the attempt to explain history by geographical factors.

The importance of geography in the development of societies

However, if I claim that geography explains the development of the West, I mean a different perspective. Geographical differences are effective in the long run, but never inexorably influence the course of the story. What is considered an advantage in a certain phase of social development can suddenly lose importance in another phase oreven become disadvantageous. Rather, social development is a dynamic process in which geographical factors provide the drive, but change their meaning through the social structures and innovations themselves. It is a principle of reciprocity that geographical conditions influence development, but in turn the importance of geography in themodulate over time.

A look into the past: the last ice age

In order to clarify this connection, it is worth taking a look back at the last ice age about twenty thousand years ago. At that time, geography played a crucial role, as large parts of the northern hemisphere were covered by miles of ice-thick layers of ice. The life-hostile cold poles were surrounded by dry, inhospitable cold steppes. only in the southern onesEquator-near areas were able to survive people in small groups as hunters and collectors. Within these habitable zones, there were hardly any differences between the east and west because the climatic conditions were comparable everywhere. However, with the end of the Ice Age, the importance of geographical conditions changed fundamentally. The Pole remained cold, the equator hot, but inSome regions between these extremes, the so-called core areas, developed under favorable climatic and geographical conditions, plants and animals suitable for domestication. This development led to an increasing food base, more people and thus to innovations. At the same time, a pressure on the resources was created, which the so-calledtriggers a development paradox, in which the prerequisites for progress created obstacles at the same time.

The development of the core regions and their differences

While the core regions were still relatively similar during the Ice Age, they developed differently over the millennia. Some regions were significantly favored by their geographical location, others less. The first agriculturalCommunities around 9500 B.C. because there the conditions for domestication of plants and animals were particularly favorable. These early developments were the cornerstone of the great civilizations, which in the further course shaped the world significantly. The geographical location played a crucial role in the emergence and development of these societies because theyResources that influenced climatic conditions and the possibilities for innovation. It is important to recognize that the differences between the regions have become increasingly larger over time because the respective social developments accelerated and changed differently.

The West and the East in the course of history

The term “West” now includes all societies that emerged from the original core areas in the Near East, Europe and later also North and South America. Over the millennia, the West expanded, from the original center in the Near East to the Mediterranean, Europe, to the countries of the American double continent and Australasia. There isDefinition of the West crucial for understanding world history because it is based on geographical and historical presuppositions, not moral judgments or cultural superiority. The question of why certain societies, especially those from Europe and North America, dominate the world today, depends largely on their geographical starting conditions and theirdevelopment together. The “east”, on the other hand, includes all the societies that come from the easternmost core area of Eurasia, starting with the region around the Yellow River and the Yangtze in China, which began domesticating plants and animals around 7500 BC. These cultures evolved independently over time, with the differences between them and theWestern societies became increasingly clear. But at its core, the realization remains that the great differences in civilization and developments are primarily due to the geographical conditions and their use. The comparisons between East and West are therefore a means to better understand the great patterns of human history.

The influence of geographical factors on social development

Of course, this view, however convincing it may seem, is not without restrictions. A comprehensive view of global development would focus on all regions of the world and acknowledge the contributions of different cultures. However, this would go beyond the scope of this text and could distract from the essentials. It is comparable to the remark of aGreat Spirit who said no one would want to read Milton’s “lost paradise” even longer than it already is. Concentrating on the great lines and patterns of history is necessary to deepen understanding. If geography really determined everything, then we could easily bring history to a simple line where the socialdevelopment in the east and west would take place at clear intervals. But reality shows that this is not the case. History is not determined by geographical conditions because the importance of geographical advantages changes over time and development is repeatedly influenced by innovations, resources and social upheavals.

The interplay of resources, innovations and geographical location

In the long term, geographical factors act as driving forces of social development. They determine where and how people settle down, which resources are accessible and which challenges need to be overcome. However, the meanings of these factors change over the course of history, because societies through innovation, migration and exchange with otherscultures reshape their starting conditions. About five thousand years ago, Portugal, Spain, France and Great Britain had a disadvantage of being on the edge of Europe in the Atlantic because they were far from the center of the civilizations of that time. But with the progress of seafaring, the situation changed fundamentally. The development of new ships and navigation methodsenabled these countries to discover new continents and to open up trade routes, which made them rise to leading sea powers. The geographical location thus became an advantage and social development accelerated dramatically. This example shows that the advantages of backwardness sometimes lead to regions catching up with innovations or even thetake on leadership role. Resources, technological advances and social changes are always in the interplay, which largely determines the course of the story. It becomes clear that while geography creates the starting position, the development through human action, innovations and social upheavals is constantly being redesigned. The story isThus, a dynamic interplay between natural prerequisites and human intervention, in which no fixed rules apply, but the possibilities arise again and again.