Abstract

This article explores the viewpoints of two world historians, Jared Diamond and Christopher Dawson. Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, has a scientific view of the past. Dawson, a prominent Catholic metahistorian, sees God’s Providence in history. Their differing historical perspectives highlight three issues: the relationship between history and science, the role of religion in society, and the significance of the individual in history. In examining these issues, Diamond and Dawson present contrasting interpretations of the rise of the West in world history. On this basis, finally, the two project deeply contrasting views of the future.