Thursday, December 13, 2007

World History according to David Kalivas

David Kalivas renewed his nearly podfaded World History Podcast. In addition to the lectures, he now delivers also a couple of short monologues that seem pure podcasts. In one of these he reveals the stretch of his enterprise: World History until 1500 CE. I wonder how he is going to continue. Sofar he has paid attention to some of the old civilizations (Indus Valley, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia) and a couple of lectures about the end of this era.

For example he speaks of Bartolomé de las Casas, the Spanish clergyman who wrote about the repulsive occurrences in the New World. Kalivas engages in the question whether the Spanish committed a genocide in the Americas. He doesn't think so, but whatever they did, it had 'genocidal consequences'. Mostly unintended, especially considering that is was mostly disease that finished the indigenous peoples off.

One of the podcasts seems to kick off the series and enters the issue of evolution of man. Kalivas puts creationism and Intelligent Design in their place and by choice, without becoming ideological, chooses the scientific approach. Very well; and how do we continue from here? One thing is for sure: I am waiting for Kalivas to give us more.

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