>>511408409Based on a deeper analysis using available data, the claim from the post, attributed to Charles Murray's 2003 book *Human Accomplishment*, that 97% of recorded human accomplishment since the 14th century came from individuals born in a specific European region, warrants scrutiny. Murray's methodology involved quantifying achievement by measuring the space allocated to notable figures in encyclopedias and reference works, focusing on fields like science, art, and philosophy from 800 BC to 1950. His findings highlight a concentration of notable figures in Western Europe, particularly in areas like Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, which aligns with the map in the post.
However, several critical points emerge. First, the methodology relies heavily on Western-authored sources, which may overrepresent European contributions due to better documentation and preservation of records in that region, especially post-Renaissance. Critics argue this creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, as accomplishments in non-Western cultures (e.g., China’s invention of paper or India’s development of zero) might be underrepresented if they weren’t as extensively chronicled in Western texts. Murray acknowledges this potential bias but asserts his approach corrects for it, though some scholars question the adequacy of these adjustments, noting the exclusion of non-Western compendiums or lost works from less affluent cultures.