20.3
A greater explanation on the concept of technology
 
  It is generally accepted that the three greatest inventions of humanity are (a) the spear (b) language and (c) the wheel. The spear, because it is generally believed that ancient humans somehow came up with the idea and how to use it and thus enabled the catching of greater amounts of food. Language, because language is considered the key to understanding and the reason humanity has developed such a high intellect. The wheel, because the technology enabled a host of processes from transport to grain milling.  
  The word technology comes from the early 17th Century and was coined from Greek word tekhnologia 'systematic treatment', from tekhn 'art, craft' + -logia .  
 

Looking back at our model of ancient human ancestors, it is technology that is considered a crucial "spark" in the fire that seemed to somehow propel human ancestors from small, baboon like apes into the "advanced" knowledgeable species we are today.

  
20.3.1 The "technology" evolutionary argument as explanation for the origins of human civilization  
  The explanation of the evolution of human civilization as described in almost every text book across planet Earth is remarkably simple. It suggests that human beings, having come from a common ancestor of the apes, found themselves in the grasslands of Africa during a period of great climactic change.  
  As temperatures rose, the previous semi upright human ancestor needed to adjust or perish. It adopted a strategy different from its primate cousins, by choosing to shed hair and stand more upright, thus observe its enemies better, and optimize cooling better, thereby spending more time gathering food.  
  The theory goes that this decision to walk upright set of a series of biological changes than in effect "caused" the expansion of the proto-human cranium (brain) versus its primate cousins, principally due to the need to improve head circulation to disparate heat.  
  At some point, this upright posture and change in food gathering techniques introduced new opportunities and needs such as look out calls for danger as well as the ability to use the arms as free agents rather than walking or climbing implements.  
  Finally, in coming together, the spear emerged it is believed out of this ongoing sequence of events leading ultimately to human being able to efficiently capture animals for food.  
  The contemporary theory then goes on to claim that once the ability to source food had been conquered, proto-humans were able to divert their attention to "higher" pursuits such as painting and communication which ultimately led to language and then all the technology that followed.  
20.3.2 The giant assumptions in the story  
  While this story is an admirable attempt to try and piece together a plausible explanation for the origins of man and civilization, it nonetheless possesses a number of giant assumptions.  
 
While heat management could be an option for why we are virtually naked versus our cousins, the resulting poor quality of our skin (to repair and handling outdoor conditions without technology) makes the negatives far outweigh the positives.
Species beloning to an ecosystem by definition seek to optimize survival within the ecosystem. Any massive damage to the ecosystem would result in dangerous threats to the survival of the species. In other words, having achieved a level of optimum using whatever tools and ideas, the proto-humans defy all that is known about species behaviour to choose against ecosystem balance.
Indigenous races are living contradictions to the argument of ongoing technology advancement
 
  None of these giant assumptions have so far been answered to any degree of satisfaction to suggest the contemporary view of human history and civilization is accurate.  
20.3.3 Two principle models exist, distinct and irreconcileable  
  To essential models exist for community life-  
 
1 Nomadic tribe
2 City/town
 
  We will consider these now.  
     
 
<<Back       Continue>>
 

Copyright © 2009 UCADIA. All rights reserved.