The Risk Of Racist Accustaions.

[Theland]

A genuine question. I am not a racist, but feel the necessity to display my credentials.
My Sudanese daughter in law is now three days overdue with my ninth grandchild.
So to the heart of the question.
Western European culture has given the world football, cricket, rugby, great classical music, great art, plays, world dominating pop culture, fashion, democracy, inventions, scientific advancement etc etc etc to name but a tiny few.

So what has Africa contributed to human advancement?

[douglas9401]

Your ninth grandchild

[Theland]

Yes. My contribution to global warming!
All our children work and pay taxes.
Benefits are an abomination in my family.
I hate Christmas!

[Maydup]

Its origins.

[Mamyalynne]

I'm sure her labour can't come soon enough - hope all goes well with the new arrival.

[Maydup]

Mathematics

[Theland]

Mama - We are all waiting for the phone to ring!

[Maydup]

Gold

[Mamyalynne]

Maydup is right with Mathematics as evidenced by the Ishango bone


http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/Ancient-Africa/ishango.html

[Theland]

This is becoming a dynasty!

[Maydup]

Language

The first words were spoken by Africans.

[Mamyalynne]

Penis transplants.

[Theland]

Thank you. The evidence mounts for the African contribution to civilisation.

[Mamyalynne]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kouroukan_Fouga

[Mamyalynne]

http://factmyth.com/factoids/the-university-of-al-quaraouiyine-is-the-oldest-university/

[Maydup]

Religion, law, architecture, travel, trade, civilisation, agriculture, just about everything began there.

Have you been Theland?

[Theland]

No never been. Just puzzled at the lack of a cultural contribution, scientific breakthroughs, Nobel Laureates.
This really is a quest for information. So far not entirely convinced. Big cities built by western countries, poor governance, corruption, tribalism etc.

[Mamyalynne]

You have the World wide web to search for reference or perhaps seek out some African scholars.

[Theland]

I don't doubt the historic contributions but there are no Leonardos, Van Goughs, etc, Einsteins, Bhors, Dirac, Pauli, Hawking etc, Emily Pankhurst, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc, and Nobel Laureates?
The list of comparisons goes on.
And now our country is being overwhelmed by Africans immigrating, and I doubt that apart from the music scene, and knife crime, they have little to offer.

[Theland]

Mamya - Are they so thin on the ground that a search is required?
That's my point.

[vetuste_ennemi]

There have been many great civilisations which have contributed in their various ways to the benefit of humanity as a whole. But civilisations and cultures evolve. And some adapt better. And some worse.

The "Western civilisation" which Theland rightly praises is a child: it's only four hundred years old. It's a fusion of Christianity (compassion for the weak), the Greek tradition (democracy), the Roman tradition ( citizenry bound and protected by a common law), and the Enlightenment which was the crucible in which these legacies combined with the new scepticism and spirit of scientific enquiry to forge new compounds. The most notable of which were the Industrial Revolution and capitalism.

Whatever their past glories some cilvilisations have become moribund. And that is why Africans want to come and live in Europe, and Europeans don't want to go and live in Africa.