Understanding the Social Contract

Apes, Civilisation and Total War

The story of the human race has humble beginnings.

Sapiens first emerged from Africa about 200 000 years ago as a hunter-gatherer type species. We were no different from the wolves; we were nomads, bound to the land by geography rather than sentiment. “Society” was a three men affair.

But eventually weak skulls, brittle bones and a meek physiology encouraged banding together and fighting smart. As Hellen Keller once observed, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” The second (more familiar) rendition of society thus emerged approximately 10 000 years ago in the Neolithic Era. Unsurprisingly, this coincided with the advent of agriculture as well.

Remains of ancient cities can be found today in the excavation site of Catalhoyuk. There, archaeologist have found over 400 skeletons under “mud-brick dwellings” arranged in a “honey-comb like maze”. Thus, the seeds of modernity were planted. As humans became more and more efficient at agriculture, societies were able to produce excess food to support a larger population and job specialisation.

Then came the civilisations. Civilisations were born around 5 to 6 thousand yeras ago, in the shadows of 4 great rivers: the Tigris/Euphrates (Mesopotamian), the Indus (Indus…