Politics in Evolution: The First 5 Million Years, and the Next 100*
ISBN: 978-1-80262-108-2, eISBN: 978-1-80262-107-5
Publication date: 21 November 2022
Abstract
Politics in human societies represents a variation, and elaboration, on a major evolutionary theme. Political processes have played an important functional role in goal-oriented, cooperative social systems in the natural world. This view of politics is also consistent with a causal theory – known as the Synergism Hypothesis – which explains the rise of complexity in evolution over time and, equally important, the frequent examples of devolution and dissolution. In addition to a brief discussion of this theory, the evolution of political systems in humankind will be described, from its possible origins among our remote australopithecine ancestors to the emergence of complex modern civilizations. Now, however, we confront an existential threat to our species, and to many others, due mainly to climate change. The future is very problematic. I will argue here that the only viable path going forward is a new social contract coupled with (democratic) global governance – a global “superorganism.”
Keywords
Citation
Corning, P.A. (2022), "Politics in Evolution: The First 5 Million Years, and the Next 100
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023 Peter A. Corning. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited