The Dawn of Everything Summary

What if the development of human society wasn't a straight line but a dance of experimentation, reversals, and alternatives that still shape the way we think and live today?

1. Societal Development Is Far From Linear

Human societies evolved in fits and starts, not a straightforward progression from primitive to modern. This goes against long-held beliefs by philosophers such as Rousseau and Hobbes, who imagined simplified timelines of equality or constant brutishness turned into hierarchy and order.

Instead, archaeological evidence shows that human development was a patchwork of experiments. Societies shifted sideways, regressed, or tried new ways of living without seeking "progress" as we define it today. This non-linearity means we must rethink history as a singular narrative of "advancement."

Cultures also shaped their environments in unique ways, strategically deciding how to organize themselves. Indigenous peoples and small communities often created systems that valued freedom, while others steered toward structured hierarchies.

Examples

• Rousseau claimed farming birthed societal hierarchies, while Hobbes painted early humans as perpetually combative, but neither considered the full diversity of patterns.
• Archeological evidence reveals rotating political systems like the seasonal leadership among the Nambikwara of Brazil.
• Early cities like Teotihuacan, despite their size, managed governance without kings or hierarchies, proving an alternative to what we assume about urbanization.

2. Indigenous Critique Shaped European Enlightenment

Indigenous critiques fundamentally influenced European perspectives during the Enlightenment. North American indigenous leaders questioned European society's obsession with money, property, and centralized power.

Kandiaronk, a Huron-Wendat leader, became famous for his biting questions, such as why Europe's kings wielded so much power while their subjects endured poverty. His works inspired Enlightenment thinkers to explore ideas of freedom and equality, even prompting accusations that his critiques incited the French Revolution.

The indigenous critique highlighted how human rights and social freedoms, long considered European ideals, were ideas profoundly shaped by non-European societies.

Examples

• Kandiaronk’s debates with French settlers directly inspired works of philosophy throughout Europe.
• Indigenous values of shared resources inspired Rousseau's concepts of human equality.
• French conservatives dismissed indigenous societies as "savage" to legitimize Europe’s authoritarian systems.

3. Ancient Life Was Surprisingly Flexible

Pre-agricultural communities were far more diverse and adaptive than previously believed. People lived as hunter-gatherers part of the year and adopted other practices, like farming or feasting, seasonally depending on their needs.

Far from being brutish wanderers, these early humans displayed conscious political thought. Social structures shifted throughout the year, with individuals taking leadership roles as conditions required. They resisted fixed dominance, unlike their ape relatives, using social ridicule to keep potential bullies in check.

This flexibility challenges assumptions that agriculture and permanent hierarchy were inevitable steps forward.

Examples

• The Nambikwara people’s chiefs alternated between authoritarian leadership during foraging and consensus-building while farming.
• Archeologists have found evidence for seasonal villages where roles and leadership structures shifted over time.
• Early societies enforced equality through social practices like mocking arrogant leaders to reduce power imbalances.

4. The Rise of Property Changed Everything

Early human communities upheld freedoms that modern societies take for granted—freedom to move freely, join different social systems, and disobey authority without consequences. These freedoms began to erode with the rise of property.

The idea of owning property created systems of exclusion and control. Legal systems termed property as something an individual could deny to the entire world, mirroring sacred “taboo” items reserved for specific use. Ownership morphed into power constructs, as those controlling land demanded obedience and controlled resources.

Rituals and ceremonies further solidified these property claims, combining economic control with spiritual or cultural significance.

Examples

• British legal theory tied property rights to total exclusion, just as Polynesian "tabu" had spiritual exclusiveness.
• Kings and priests demanded social submission during ceremonial rituals, tying sacred ideas to ownership.
• Indigenous disagreements with European property views arose precisely because the latter equated ownership with labor and exclusion.

5. Societies Often Defined Themselves by What They Rejected

Communities often built social institutions as reactions to what they saw in their neighbors. In California, indigenous groups created egalitarian communities explicitly in opposition to the hierarchical, slave-owning societies to their north.

While northern Pacific societies kept slaves and celebrated uneven wealth distribution at grand feasts called potlatches, California’s indigenous peoples valued modesty and rejected displays of excess. This suggests the development of freedom and hierarchy often occurs simultaneously, as communities tailor their identities based on contrasts.

Cultural decisions about inclusion versus exclusion, equality versus hierarchy, shaped the balance of early societies.

Examples

• Northwest societies participated in slavery and extravagant potlatch feasts, rejecting simplicity.
• Indigenous Californians rejected slavery and prioritized staples over luxury, showing ascetic values.
• Coastal communities adopted rivaling values that actively countered one another to preserve autonomy.

6. Farming Wasn’t an Immediate Success Story

Contrary to popular belief, agriculture wasn’t universally adopted right away. Early humans experimented with farming over thousands of years, sometimes choosing to abandon it after realizing the level of back-breaking effort involved.

Even when farming became more consistent, most communities maintained a blend of subsistence strategies, avoiding over-reliance on crops. The danger of depending too heavily on single food sources often led to disaster, such as starvation or conflict.

This slow progression reminds us that societal evolution often comes through trial and error, rather than determined goals.

Examples

• Neolithic communities in Austria and Germany faced starvation and violence when their crops failed.
• Women likely drove early experiments in farming due to their active roles in food collection and preparation.
• Ancient rituals like the Adonis myth included symbolic “play” farming centuries before widespread cultivation.

7. Early Cities Defied Expectations of Hierarchy

First cities often resisted hierarchical power. Urban centers like ancient Mesopotamia and Teotihuacan proved that you could sustain population density while maintaining egalitarian or assembly-based governance.

These cities showcased diversity, with wealth and administrative tools spread evenly across neighborhoods. Individuals resolved disputes through assembly rather than top-down control. Rather than inevitable kings, hierarchies first emerged in smaller warrior societies on city edges.

This history tells a different story about early urban evolution, challenging the notion that cities inherently require centralized power.

Examples

• Teotihuacan, with its population of over a million, celebrated collective over individual power through art and architecture.
• Mesopotamian cities used communal labor-based systems to maintain infrastructure.
• Warrior aristocracies in hill towns began rejecting writing systems, focusing on small-scale domination.

8. Kings Used Violence to Cement Power

Early rulers didn’t rise through peaceful reforms—they secured their positions through shocking displays of violence. Ancient Egyptian kings legitimized their rule through mass sacrifices and monumental structures.

This combination of violence and extravagant rituals wasn’t inevitable but arose from the fusion of charisma, control over information, and militaristic strength. Other civilizations, like the Olmecs or Chavín de Huántar, wielded dominance differently, relying on charms or esoteric knowledge without ruling violently.

The rise of monoarchical states came from specific historical choices rather than natural progressions.

Examples

• Ancient Egyptian kings buried followers alive during funerals to demonstrate absolute dominance.
• Olmec chiefs gained authority not through violence but by excelling at ball games.
• Chavín society leaders controlled power via secret religious knowledge instead of coercion.

9. Society Can Always Rethink Its Path

The rise of the indigenous critique and the evolution of societies like Cahokia teach us a vital lesson: nothing is inevitable. Societies can abandon hierarchical paths and rediscover collective values.

After Cahokia’s collapse, communities intentionally avoided centralized power. They embraced shared decision-making and anti-authoritarian values, using their past as a guide for what to reject.

This proves that even today, societies have many choices ahead. Political change is anything but over.

Examples

• Cahokia’s downfall led to decentralized governance around the Great Lakes region.
• Debate flourished among Great Lakes indigenous peoples, emphasizing diversity of opinion.
• The critique of Cahokia helped shape egalitarianism, inspiring Enlightenment thinkers centuries later.

Takeaways

1. Question deeply rooted assumptions about societal evolution; alternatives to hierarchy have always existed.
2. Study indigenous models of governance for approaches that emphasize shared power and anti-authoritarian values.
3. Remember that societal systems are not permanent; experiment with new forms of organization in your community or workplace.