Debate:Can Europeans say they "discovered" an inhabited area?

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YES

Although it doesn't seem to make sense to speak of discovering something which has already been seen by people (like an inhabited island), Europeans took the perspective that what they didn't know about was shrouded in mystery. It was unknown to them.

Hence, whenever they found out about a new territory, they described in terms of "discovery". What was covered or shrouded was no longer hidden to them.

Some people may think that this is disrespecting the inhabitants of islands such as Hawaii, but the Europeans who discovered Hawaii rather pointedly reported that the found the land inhabited. Only a moron would think that the Europeans considered themselves the first people to set foot on that land! --Ed Poor ^Talk 09:59, 13 July 2007 (EDT)

NO

Of course not. Europeans do not own the world. --Iamchristian 00:25, 5 January 2008 (EST)

Ridiculous. I'm sure the native Americans discovered the Americas long before Christopher Columbus. And even disregarding them, there was also the vikings. Barikada 20:46, 10 March 2008 (EDT)