Category Archives: Ch.13) The Egalitarian Ape

In his 1999 book, Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior, Christopher Boehm stated that political coalitions appear only in despotic (hierarchical) species. While there is some obvious truth to this — chimpanzees and macaques are noted for … Continue reading →

“Egalitarianism is not based on mutual love and even less on passivity. It’s an actively maintained condition that recognizes the universal human desire to control and dominate. Instead of denying the will to power, egalitarians know it all too well. … Continue reading →

As nice as it would be to think egalitarian social structures represent human nature with the badness of hierarchical strivings stripped away. An innate goodness remains. However, human nature is likely quite plastic, and though we may wish that the … Continue reading →

Human beings do not chase one another around with hair raised and teeth bared. As other primates do. No, our means of persuasion are more subtle. And in addition to that — symbolic. But first, the subtlety. Margaret Powers has … Continue reading →

“Naturally, to an affluent Englishman, reared amid servants, a society never far from starvation will seem starkly egalitarian. There will be no opulent displays of status, no gross disparities. But social hierarchy can assume many forms, and in every human … Continue reading →

There are many types and degrees of hierarchies. As there are types and degrees of egalitarian social structures. Consider marriage. Monogamous marriage. Does this qualify as egalitarian? In a sense, yes, but in another sense, maybe not. As Robin Wright … Continue reading →

I recall a video clip featuring Paul Ekman that I regularly included in my general psychology class. It showed an elder man from a remote tribe in India being greeted by females. In the ritualistic greeting, he placed his bare … Continue reading →