Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels

Where do our values come from? They’re more than just philosophy or religion; they’re tied to how we harness energy.

1. Energy Collection Shapes Societal Values

Human values evolve just like genes—they adapt to fit the environment. Our moral systems mirror the energy systems that keep us alive. Societies that efficiently adapt their values to suit their energy capture methods thrive, while those with outdated values falter.

For example, the hierarchical values of Greek farming society stemmed from labor needs in agriculture. Similarly, today’s fossil fuel economies, which demand cooperation and mobility, have fostered values like democracy and gender equality.

Values also affect what behaviors are encouraged or disliked. When survival relied on large, stable families, cultures evolved rigid gender roles. In contrast, societies relying on renewable energy in the future may push for equality to ensure access.

Examples

• Greek farming hierarchies reflected a focus on physical labor and large families.
• Modern societies uphold equality because highly cooperative labor structures work well with fossil fuel production.
• Local foraging cultures resisted wealth accumulation because mobility mattered more than possessions.

2. Foraging Societies Valued Equality but Lived With Violence

Foragers lived in small groups and avoided wealth inequality, but they accepted violence as part of life. Their constant mobility demanded communal cooperation rather than hierarchy and hoarding. Yet, conflict often resolved through force rather than dialogue, as governments didn’t exist.

Foragers shared food and resources to ensure the survival of the entire group. They ostracized or punished selfish individuals who tried to disrupt this balance. However, survival pressures also encouraged violent tendencies, especially when dealing with dangerous outsiders or predators.

Without rulers to maintain order, disputes or threats escalated. In many foraging groups, violence determined status, with aggressive individuals more likely to succeed in passing on their genes.

Examples

• Foraging societies had a Gini score of 0.25, reflecting low wealth inequality.
• Nomadic lifestyles made wealth accumulation impractical.
• One in ten foragers during the twentieth century died a violent death.

3. Agriculture Brought Inequality and the First Hierarchies

The agricultural revolution turned independent foraging groups into centralized farming societies. Producing surplus food required coordination, leading to hierarchies where elites managed resources while lower classes worked the land.

Agriculture led humans to settle in fertile regions like Mesopotamia, forming early cities. Farming required extensive labor, which resulted in large families and even slavery becoming normalized. Gender roles also shifted, with women expected to stay home while men labored in the fields.

This system created extreme inequality but also more stability. Farming wealth passed down through generations, reinforcing differences between rich and poor. Meanwhile, centralized leaders helped reduce violence, as peace promoted better farming and trade efficiency.

Examples

• Mesopotamian irrigation allowed energy capture up to 10,000 kilocalories per day.
• Ancient farming societies like Egypt established divine rulers to justify elite control.
• Farming communities had an average Gini score of 0.45, higher than foragers.

4. Religion Justified Farming Hierarchies

With farming came the world’s first ruling classes. Leaders claimed they derived their power from gods, legitimizing their control over workers and resources. Religion reinforced the status quo, making it natural for lower classes to accept their position as part of divine order.

In farming societies, religion played a key role in managing groups too large for personal bonds to sustain. Sacred teachings justified both harsh labor systems like slavery and the division of roles based on gender.

Although inequality thrived, religion brought long-term benefits. Centrally organized societies used their labor force efficiently, producing surpluses that allowed populations and economies to grow.

Examples

• Ancient Egyptian rulers were seen as deities, linking their governance to religion.
• Religions often portrayed gender roles as divinely ordained.
• Stability through divine rule reduced civil unrest in agrarian societies.

5. Fossil Fuels Revolutionized Production and Population Growth

The fossil fuel era allowed humanity to exponentially increase energy capture and technological development. Coal and steam engines transformed industries, raising living standards and fueling urbanization.

Efficient fossil-fuel-powered machines replaced manual labor and increased production. As wages grew, people moved from farms to cities, creating bustling industrial economies. Countries like Britain and the U.S. dominated global markets as resource extraction and energy usage skyrocketed.

Fossil fuels also triggered population booms. Better food production, healthcare, and infrastructure meant people lived longer and healthier lives, with global populations leaping from 1 billion in 1800 to 6 billion in the year 2000.

Examples

• By 1970, fossil fuel societies captured 230,000 kilocalories per day.
• Steam engines drove industrialization and increased global trade.
• Today’s humans live 30 years longer and are on average 10 cm taller than their ancestors.

6. Fossil Fuels Fostered Equality and Peace

Fossil fuels didn’t just raise productivity—they also helped encourage societal values like equality, gender fairness, and non-violence. In wealthier fossil fuel economies, opportunities expanded for all citizens, eroding traditional hierarchies.

Fewer children were needed to sustain families, allowing women to pursue education and careers. Secularization increased in this era, weakening religious justifications for rulers or oppressive cultural norms. Democracies also thrived in places where citizens demanded fair treatment.

Most fossil fuel societies recognize the costliness of violence. Easier mobility and improved diplomacy make force unnecessary and counterproductive in resolving disputes.

Examples

• 86% of respondents in a 2009 poll emphasized the importance of gender equality.
• Fertility rates dropped, freeing women to take active roles in the workforce.
• Gallup polls show the majority of people today favor peaceful conflict resolution.

7. Future Energy Practices Will Spark New Values

The technology of tomorrow will likely reshape our values just as much as fossil fuels reshaped farming societies. Innovations in energy, such as solar power or nuclear fusion, could massively increase energy capture, making today’s fossil fuels obsolete.

As advanced countries achieve longer life expectancies and fewer resource shortages, hierarchies might disappear entirely. Alternatively, if technologies like advanced AI or brain implant chips aren’t shared equally, a divide between superhumans and regular humans could create new sources of inequality.

The future depends on how energy, power, and ethics align.

Examples

• Japan and South Korea adopted democratic values as they industrialized after World War II.
• Experts estimate energy capture could rise to nearly 1 million kilocalories per person daily.
• Advanced tech might allow average lifespans to exceed 100 years by 2100.

8. Eastern and Western Societies May Swap Influences

If China and other Eastern powerhouses continue growing, cultural norms might reverse, with Western societies adopting traditionally Eastern characteristics. This shift is plausible if current economics trends tilt power away from Europe and the U.S.

Despite rapid modernization, some Eastern nations remain resistant to Western-style democracy. If global leadership transitions East, these values may shift globally, prioritizing collective stability over Western individuality.

This highlights how values evolve according to economic contexts.

Examples

• Development rates predict Eastern dominance by 2103.
• Recent history shows China’s economic gains leading to political and environmental shifts.
• Eastern hierarchical modes of governance may become attractive to Western economies seeking stability.

9. Violence and Inequality Could Vanish in a Post-Human Future

Advanced technologies and abundant energy could eliminate physical conflict by giving all people equal access to wealth, education, and healthcare. However, human extinction might also loom if some gain disproportionate control of these futuristic tools.

Super-intelligent entities or heavily modified humans could marginalize their unmodified peers. The ultimate outcome hinges on whether technology empowers everyone equally or deepens division.

Whatever transpires, the values of 2100 will look very different from today.

Examples

• Predictions suggest an end to strict hierarchies once all labor becomes automated.
• Potential scenarios include harmonious coexistence or unprecedented inequality.
• Technology already shapes moral debates, from privacy concerns to access rights.

Takeaways

1. Understand that societal changes often stem from energy systems—trace their roots when examining values.
2. Recognize how emerging technologies may reshape ethics and adapt personal perspectives accordingly.
3. Advocate for equitable access to advancements to avoid future inequality or conflict.