Summary Of Peter Turchin's Ultra Society

We, human beings feel distinctly unique, individual and most importantly, unmistakably superior due to our exclusive intelligence. This is why we, as a society, tend to look down on other types of life-forms, insect or animal, as they do not possess that desired intellect. Yet, Lewis Thomas, in his opinion essay “On Societies as Organisms”, argues that human society has much to learn from the communal accomplishment of other life-forms. The author effectively conveys this main idea through his use of analogy, enumeration of examples and through his level of language.

An important development that distinguishes civilization from even the most advanced societies that preceded was gender inequality. For example, in the new societies, males were considered superior towards females. The text states, “the patriarchal ideal regarded men superior to women and sons preferable to daughters”(page 73). The text displays that women were second priority. This development is different from previous Paleolithic and Neolithic societies

Inequality is very unnatural in our species. Social inequality stems from the idea that one group of people are superior than another. However, in ancient societies, those in power “justified” social inequality through means of religion and by the will of the gods. Ancient Hebrew society and ancient Babylonian society both follow this mindset that the gods justified social inequality.

"How Economic Inequality Harms Societies." Richard Wilkinson:. TED Talks, July 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

The world of the ancient Near East believed in a creator deity as member within a plethora of deities; that is, there was no supreme being. Within this plethora, each deity held a specific responsibility, representing such matters as order, justice, love, and truth, to name but a few. Among ANE inhabitants, according to Philip J. Nel, “a normative principle of justice was maintained as part and parcel of the created universe. The human life-world and the order of nature were seen as inextricable entwined.” It is not surprising, therefore, how ancient civilizations understood justice to be a concomitant attribute of a deity within a pantheon of deities; a pantheon where members had origins and, in most instances, were familial in nature. According to their understanding of creation, ancient civilizations held views on social and economic justice as a means that would “facilitate the service of the community to the divine world.” Nel observes that, “The principle of justice was . . . not so much regarded as a system of moral order, but rather the assumption of an existing/created autonomous design/order which should be upheld and adhered to in all sectors of society.” The Sumerians, and the Egyptians, serve as examples.

　　Equality 7-2521 conviction in the validity of his societies social values was crumbling. He reflects that “strange are the ways of evil… we are defying the will of our Councils” (Rand, 36) and that “never, not in the memory of the Ancient Ones’ Ancients, never have men done that which we are doing” (Rand, 37). He remarks with some astonishment that his activities caused him no feelings of guilt. He was shocked to realize that “in our heart there is the first peace we have known in twenty years” (Rand, 37).

The governing legal, moral and religious codes of ancient civilizations were written and enforced by a minority that exercised power and authority over the majority. This minority consisted of priests, rulers and elites with established power and influence in society. In these codes of early civilizations, there was an overarching emphasis on maintenance of structure and order in society. Simply put, while these codes reflect the conditions, needs and values of the times in which they were formulated, they also unveil the authors’ agendas to preserve their power by maintaining the status quo. Therefore, these codes acknowledge and uphold the prevailing social, gender and racial inequalities as natural conditions of human existence and reveal the manifold biases present in early civilizations.

In early societies, the surplus of goods and resources was rather limited compared to today. This limitation of goods is what kept the societies from being influenced by inequality. In the United States today, goods and resources are not necessarily limited. In today’s world, goods are being manufactured that are not necessarily essential for survival. This allows for certain individuals to gain resources and power, while others get nothing, thus creating the issue of inequality.

Although one often blames the existence of hierarchy on factors such as discrimination and outside pressure, the essential cause of hierarchy is actually human’s competitive nature. Instead of wanting to share fair

Human society became multilayered as some groups began to specialize in exploiting other people (page 45-46). As communities grew larger, people had to find new ways of defining their relationships with neighbors, and determine who had access to resources, and who could administer justice, organize warfare, trade, and religious worship. Communities had to find ways of regulating exchanges between persons whose interests and needs were diverse. The simple rules of kinship had to be supplemented with more elaborate rules regulating behavior between people whose contacts were more fleeting and less personal. Large building projects and organizing warfare required new types of leadership.

Inequality is still common in the world today. Some suggest that inequality is a result of some people being biologically inferior to others. Jared Diamond challenges this by taking specifically about what gave the Spanish an advantage over the Incas.

Focusing on religious practices in this paper have demonstrated that both selfless and selfish society's all contribute in order to obtain a higher good. The determination that our ancestors had in order to achieve peace in the afterlife, is something that we should all look upon with envy. Through sun worshipping we see that although we may not have proof that something exists, it does not mean that the prayer and work that we put in will be in vain. It teaches us Hope. Studying both human and animal sacrifices, we can see that although it may seem extreme, the selflessness that is demonstrated in the act is something we lack in society today. The pyramids and burials in Egyptian society can truly paint a picture to someone who is not appreciative for what they have. Seeing innocent slaves put to death for their masters may show someone how lucky they are just to be able to say that they are free. In conclusion, I believe that although some of the things ancient civilizations have portrayed may be extreme, I believe that whether good or bad there is still a lesson to be learned from every

The Aztecs are often perceived as a merciless society who increased their empire through bloody conflict. Furthermore, they are most remembered for religious sacrifice of humans. This included elaborate ceremonies culminating with the removal of organs while the sufferers were still breathing. Although violent sacrifice is intolerable in modern times, it wasn’t uncommon less than a millennia ago. It was practiced throughout the world on every continent. This includes Mesopotamia which is a cradle of civilization and site for Adam and Eve’s story. According to Nature Journal of Science, recent scientific research indicates that two-thirds of the highly stratified societies practiced the macabre ritual, compared with just one-quarter of the egalitarian societies (Watts, 2016). The Aztecs or aztecah were a highly stratified society that expanded from small beginnings, concentrated on academic equality, and contributed to human progression. Although the Aztec’s culture was short lived, it merits appreciation.

It has often been suggested that hunter gatherers were savage however the study of warfare in the science journal The Science, suggest that the origins of warfare were not rooted in hunter gatherer groups but rather in cultures that held land livestock

In this week’s reading there were two articles that we were given to read. First, I am going to discuss Chapais’ "Monogamy, strongly bonded groups, and the evolution of human social structure." Then, I will go on to discuss Rodseth’s "The human community as a primate society." I was very torn it when it came to how I felt about the article by Chapais. I found the topic itself to be very interesting. However, the article was difficult and dry to read. As someone who loves studying why we are they way we are, the idea that we have evolved to create the types of societies we do is an intriguing topic. Something I wish the author would have talked about was our tend to segregate our societies by upper, middle, and lower class. I would like to know