Jared Diamond - Human Mind and Society

Society is composed of human minds working collectively. By appreciating consciousness can we understand society better? Conversely, by appreciating society can we understand consciousness better? What’s the relationship between society and consciousness? Can we have either without the other? Or are they inextricably bound together?

Jared Mason Diamond is an American scientist, historian, and author. He is a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and he has written hundreds of scientific articles and books. In 1999, he received the National Medal of Science, an honor bestowed by the President of the United States and the National Science Foundation. He is currently a professor of geography at UCLA.

Closer To Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[mickeybrumfield]

Things are getting much better. There is reason for great optimism when you see people of the same tribe turning against their own for indecent behavior. This will stop the unruly behavior dead in its tracks.

[DanielBro]

I just finished reading his famous book a couple hours ago, cool

[browngreen]

If genocide is an inborn human trait as Diamond suggests, what implications does that hold for the long-term survival of the human species now that we have established arsenals of world-destroying nuclear weapons and have divided ourselves into neo-tribal alliances on a global basis?

[TheCosmicRealm]

I wish I knew what any of this is about because I find it to be extremely bizarre how everything is self-organizing and to understand why we are all bunched together, like rats in a cage. I find it to be incredibly frustrating that free will doesn't exist. I find it incredibly unfair that I'm not "really" in control of anything.

[NataliaCh]

I think that You should visit museum Auschwitz in Poland and ask questions about genoside. Hello from Poland🇵🇱

[AndrewWeisMusic]

How do you consider long, severe winters as the "good luck" of geography? Is it more likely that harsh winters contributed to Europeans good luck of genetics?

[sujok-acupuncture]

I feel all the world nations are uncivilized.

[Mentaculus]

2:49 “The Fertile Crescent self destructed”, seems to require an explanation of why and how come the inventors of domesticated agriculture didn’t prosper in the same way.

6:25 I wonder where we are seeing this happening today and I wonder what are the dynamics that are driving that today ‽ Probably something that can’t be reduced to a couple of sound bites.

[ronhudson]

Western culture does dominate the world. Science and technology is developed in the west and manufactured or copied in the East. Orchestra’s around the world play western music. The pop music of the world is western music. Western culture provides for a better quality of life for more of its citizens. Western culture is generally more free with more personal freedom than other many other cultures. It’s a fact, whatever then reason.

[jamesruscheinski]

common traits and characteristics of human mind can develop human society?

[XOPOIIIO]

How is one hypothesis is better than another? You can't prove what was the reason Europe dominated. China and India was not less populated, China actually explored half of the world, but neither civilization dominated the entire continents.

[AriaCoxxx]

Hallelujah!!! I’m blessed and favored with $60, 000 every week! Now I can afford anything and support the work of God and the church. For Your glory, LORD! HALLELUJAH!

[bradsillasen]

Anyone know what kind of book he's working on now?

[AlexanderLayko]

"Your geography, climate, and resources determine your culture, technological progress, hair color, eye color, height, skin color, skin thickness, skull shape, and resistance to diseases but magically has no effect on your brain or anything that determines intelligence, character, or personality." Whoa tell me more.

[grinkot]

Brilliant way for CTT to get at a fraught topic. Looking forward to more building blocks.

[michelangelope]

Atención. Quiero que pienses en el significado de mis palabras. Soy un psicólogo y he descubierto que Dios existe y lo puedo probar salvando vidas con conocimiento. Para mejorar tu situación el descubrimiento de que el ateísmo es una falacia lógica tiene que ser noticia. No debería el conocimiento censurarse. Para superar la censura el descubrimiento de que el ateísmo es una falacia lógica tiene que ser noticia. No quiero acabar pidiendo limosna porque nadie entiende la importancia del descubrimiento de la existencia de Dios. ¿Se decía que se quiere que se pruebe la existencia de Dios? No me lo estoy inventando, el debate continúa. Pienso que el verdadero Dios que asusta porque es real es el Dios de Spinoza. Si Dios existe estamos constantemente observados y escuchados porque Dios conoce su creación. Dios es uno mismo. Gracias.

[mathieuraetz]

Energy surplus has an expiration date.

[martmarriner]

Africa for eg could have expanded. Maoris came to NZ from Polynesia, in canoes!. And America couldve been colonised by any number of peoples. This reasoning holds little substance.

[sumitraghani]

Maybe you need to understand Islam in India? These are majority hindu population on the brink of submission to minority Islam. This also has happened in India and in Spain and in Persia many times before as well. It's a miracle that India has survived.