Has anyone applied evolutionary psychology to this issue? Humans have contradictory impulses—to be safe in a hierarchy and not have to think too much, and to be free and alone, over the horizon from the nearest state. (That's most of what the US' cowboy mythology is.) Psychopathy, unfortunately, also comes into play in state formation: all too many people crave the opportunities for lopsided violence that states afford their enforcers.
Excellent subject matter! Two books on this subject by Christopher Ryan worth reading: 'Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress' and 'Sex at Dawn' Also, a very good read concerning what it's going to take to actually survive our "civilized" situation, look into Julian Cribb's 'FOOD OR WAR' as stated by Paul R. Ehrlich on the books cover 'Anyone with an interest in either the human future or in food should read this clear, authoritative, scary book' Truly, I want a future for my granddaughters, they deserve so much more than we are giving them thus far.
Lyle Lewis, author of "Racing to Extinction" posed the thought that wheat and maize domesticated us. Food for thought -- at least until our food conglomerates process the hell out of it.
"Against the Grain" and "The Dawn of Everything" are now on my reading list. Hopefully my library will have them.
I really think at heart we want to cooperate, but also are desperate for praise. The hierarchical structures of our environment -- school, organised sport, and jobs seem to prioritize the seeking of praise over the joy of cooperation. What better way to get praise than to be a power wielding prick?
Anthropolpgist Thorstein Veblen got it mostly right with his analysis of the roots of industry. Overpopulation? Everywhere in the world where women are discriminated against birth rates are high. Where women are relatively well educated the birth rates drop. You think there's a connection?
Sounds accurate, as far as it goes. However, the controlling factor is our massive human overpopulation, when compared with the 5 million humans who lived in migratory Hunter-Gatherer clans (less than 150, the Dunbar number) and lived in a self-sustaining ecologically balanced relationship with the rest of the natural environment. Now, we are 3,000 times more than they were. What could go wrong? Everything.
Our ancestral migratory Hunter-Gatherer/pastoralist clans could only reproduce to the Dunbar number of 150 due to their need for regular migrations and the limitations of the natural environment to feed all 150. Such clan structures migrated and thus occasionally transgressed on the same territory at the same time, resulting in conflict and limiting clan growth. That structure stabilized their numbers worldwide and sustained the natural environment without “overshoot”. Sedentary grain agriculture allowed more nutrition for larger populations and the hierarchical structures that inevitably followed. Thanks for the dialog!
The reason that the Hunter-Gatherer clan lifeway is so important in our prehistory is that it prevented any one clan from predominating, as only 150 of fewer members could survive in the predatory rich natural environment, and the clans butted up against eachother, so all had to cooperate in sharing nature's bounty or starve.
Has anyone applied evolutionary psychology to this issue? Humans have contradictory impulses—to be safe in a hierarchy and not have to think too much, and to be free and alone, over the horizon from the nearest state. (That's most of what the US' cowboy mythology is.) Psychopathy, unfortunately, also comes into play in state formation: all too many people crave the opportunities for lopsided violence that states afford their enforcers.
Excellent subject matter! Two books on this subject by Christopher Ryan worth reading: 'Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress' and 'Sex at Dawn' Also, a very good read concerning what it's going to take to actually survive our "civilized" situation, look into Julian Cribb's 'FOOD OR WAR' as stated by Paul R. Ehrlich on the books cover 'Anyone with an interest in either the human future or in food should read this clear, authoritative, scary book' Truly, I want a future for my granddaughters, they deserve so much more than we are giving them thus far.
Lyle Lewis, author of "Racing to Extinction" posed the thought that wheat and maize domesticated us. Food for thought -- at least until our food conglomerates process the hell out of it.
"Against the Grain" and "The Dawn of Everything" are now on my reading list. Hopefully my library will have them.
I really think at heart we want to cooperate, but also are desperate for praise. The hierarchical structures of our environment -- school, organised sport, and jobs seem to prioritize the seeking of praise over the joy of cooperation. What better way to get praise than to be a power wielding prick?
Anthropolpgist Thorstein Veblen got it mostly right with his analysis of the roots of industry. Overpopulation? Everywhere in the world where women are discriminated against birth rates are high. Where women are relatively well educated the birth rates drop. You think there's a connection?
Excellent point, Betsy. Veblen's been on my list for a while. I'll bump it up.
Sounds accurate, as far as it goes. However, the controlling factor is our massive human overpopulation, when compared with the 5 million humans who lived in migratory Hunter-Gatherer clans (less than 150, the Dunbar number) and lived in a self-sustaining ecologically balanced relationship with the rest of the natural environment. Now, we are 3,000 times more than they were. What could go wrong? Everything.
Agree that population is a big issue. But states as a structure under any population size present a problem. Just a thought.
Our ancestral migratory Hunter-Gatherer/pastoralist clans could only reproduce to the Dunbar number of 150 due to their need for regular migrations and the limitations of the natural environment to feed all 150. Such clan structures migrated and thus occasionally transgressed on the same territory at the same time, resulting in conflict and limiting clan growth. That structure stabilized their numbers worldwide and sustained the natural environment without “overshoot”. Sedentary grain agriculture allowed more nutrition for larger populations and the hierarchical structures that inevitably followed. Thanks for the dialog!
The reason that the Hunter-Gatherer clan lifeway is so important in our prehistory is that it prevented any one clan from predominating, as only 150 of fewer members could survive in the predatory rich natural environment, and the clans butted up against eachother, so all had to cooperate in sharing nature's bounty or starve.