Re: Re: Foster responds

[Jim Devine <jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:21 AM 6/29/01 -0400, you wrote:>As for why the Mayan civilisation
collapsed, both in Peruvian antiquity and the Classic period (9th C AD), I
can tell you right now: it collapsed because of a series of intense El Nino
events which altered the climate, caused rainfall and flooding and washed
its agriculture away. There is now conclusive evdience from the climatic
record about this. No doubt there was
a Malthusian crisis involved because of over-exploitation of farming,
population pressure etc, but it's basically the climate.<

"conclusive evidence"? in science, and especially social science, there's
no such thing. Any conclusion is simply a new working hypothesis to be
tested by contrast with evidence, by logical analysis, and by looking to
see if the picture is complete. Unlike in religion, there is no final world
about what is the Truth. There are no Authorities, self-proclaimed
"experts" on Babylonian and Mayan civilization or whatever, who cannot be
questioned.

There must have been something profoundly wrong with Mayan civilization
(and its agricultural/water system) if a mere climate change -- an external
shock -- led to its utter collapse. But some people on pen-l seem to have
been portraying Mayan civilization as lacking any internal contradictions
(unlike other class systems, it seems -- or didn't the Mayan system have
classes?).

Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxx & http:/bellarmine.lmu.edu/~JDevine
"Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself." -- Richard Feynman.