Foragers’ Egalitarianism
"Because food is found in the surrounding environment, no one can control another's access to life's necessities in hunter-gatherer society.
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"When you can't block people's access to food and shelter, and you can't stop them from leaving, how can you control them? The ubiquitous political egalitarianism of foraging people is rooted in this simple reality. Having no coercive power, leaders are simply those who are followed—individuals who have earned the respect of their companions. Such 'leaders' do not—cannot—demand anyone's obedience.
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". . . in a zero-sum context (like that of modern capitalist societies where we live among strangers), it makes sense, on some levels, for individuals to look out for themselves. But in other contexts human behavior is characterized by an equal instinct toward generosity and justice." — Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá; Sex at Dawn, p. 176-177
Emma Roulette
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