The pursuit of man often coincides with greed and power. Humankind has always been a species that wants to become the best and greatest that it can possible be. This means a desire for money, fame, and power. For most of the time up to the 1500 the world’s economy was based on trading and stayed a consistent size. But with the advance in metal and cultivation due to science the world’s economy increased drastically. The invention of dynamite was a groundbreaking invention. Created during a time where gunpowder was the only thing strong enough to blast rock away, but it was highly unstable and dangerous to use. Dynamite changed all that but it was not immune from the changes of governmental needs. Governments saw the potential military use in this new substance very early on. A new form of expolive that was safer and stronger than what had been used for centuries. It was shaped by the demands of government and the desire for tits creator to make money off this invention. After all, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his invention.
Progress, defined by Merriam webster’s dictionary is, “to move forward”, when used as a verb. A civilization cannot progress, prosper, or grow without advances in science, technology, or agriculture. So for Harari to claim that progress played a pivotal role in science, empire, and capitalism is very correct. Only strong empires can survive the years of war or famine. While there are no empires today in the old traditional sense, there is one that is left. The United States of America. We have military alliances and bases on all the continents and can say we are the last true global empire of military might. We also have much to give the world in terms of scientific advances. Some countries have managed to survive hundreds of years of war and conflict like Switzerland. But for the most part for a country, tribe, or civilization to survive they need to have military might and scientific advances to stay up in the same class as the rest of the world.
I really like your example of dynamite. It is fascinating to note how dynamite was originally intended to just blow mountains away but then governments saw the material as an opportunity for warfare. It really goes to show what Dr. Reidy lectured on the Industrial-Military Complex. Inventions that were initially intended to help the general masses, such as dynamite and vaccinations, were later exploited by governments to advance their military interests. I agree with you that pursuits and progress of man has really led to greed. Progress was necessary for the advancement of science, empires and money. Great job on your post!
I think the example of dynamite is a good example of an invention that went from being scientific to one that is manipulated by governments to advance their pursuits. I agree that a military is important for advancement, after all, in Europe during the 1500s, having the largest army usually coincided with possessing the most wealth and power. I think that the military also follows a similar path to science, in the sense that capitalism and empire also link to it, just as Harari links science, empire, and capitalism. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog and thought that the points you made were direct and extremely true.
I like the point you make to say that progress can’t happen without advancements in science, because it’s one of the best ways to link the three concepts together. Your example of dynamite was good but also, I think the best first example of an invention being used by the governments of the world to advance themselves and make money would be gun powder, which you mention, but don’t go in depth about. My only thought is that empires truly started rising in the Medieval times or earlier depending on if you count the Chinese empires as the worlds first empires. I also liked your point about how in order to stay up in the same class of countries, we need military might and advancements in science because when you look at first world countries, it’s the common denominator most of the time. Overall, really good blog!
All in all I get what you are trying to say and am impressed with your insight on dynamite as the piece of the puzzle that connects science, politics, and economics. Besides all that, maybe next time do a quick revision before submitting it so as to avoid things like “the desire for tits.” Other than that I cannot fault you for this piece.