evolution

Gender egalitarianism made us human: A response to David Graeber & David Wengrow's 'How to change the course of human history' - by Camilla Power

Submitted by hedgehog on Sep 5 2018 17:39

In an ambitious recent article in Eurozine David Graeber and David Wengrow try to rewrite the narrative of human history. They attack the ‘myth’ that humans had once enjoyed equality and freedom in hunter-gatherer bands, until the invention of farming sent us down the road to social inequality.

Goldsmith, Marie: her life and thought

Submitted by Steven. on Oct 26 2015 11:53

Article about Marie Goldsmith/Isidine/Korn that teases out her influence on Peter Kropotkin's ideas, as well as looking at her scientific career and her anarchism.

Chomsky and the evolution of language

Submitted by Choccy on Aug 17 2013 18:50

Noam Chomsky recently appeared on the Skeptically Speaking podcast to discuss the evolution of language. This got me thinking about the relationship, or lack thereof, between 'scepticism', 'new atheism' and radical politics which will follow in another blog post.

Mutual aid and the foraging mode of thought: Re-reading Kropotkin on the Khoisan - Alan Barnard

Submitted by hedgehog on Jun 7 2013 18:17

This paper utilizes Kropotkin's notion of ‘mutual aid’ and examines specifically Kropotkin's ideas on ‘mutual aid among savages’ and his comments on Khoisan Bushman social organization in light of later ethnographic findings.

Primitive communism and women's role in its emergence

Submitted by hedgehog on May 25 2013 17:56

How did human evolution give rise to a species whose very survival is based on mutual confidence and solidarity? More particularly, what was woman’s role in this process?

This is a review of Christophe Darmangeat's recent book, 'Primitive Communism is Not What it Was'.

A Review of Jared Diamond's 'The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?'

Submitted by Lyceum on Jan 7 2013 20:22

On human nature

Submitted by AnarchoDoom on Oct 21 2012 13:49

Arguments I see time and time again against left-wing politics include “human nature will get in the way” or “it ignores human nature”. Recently I’ve even seen this argument trotted out by people on the left, that any future system must “take human nature into account”. It’s fairly clear what is meant here without asking too many questions. Human beings are selfish. Human beings only work in their own self-interest and that this is natural. But I believe this to be wrong. This blog post will hopefully explain why.

'How Noam Chomsky’s World Works', by David Hawkes

Submitted by hedgehog on Sep 28 2012 17:08

Noam Chomsky's political writings are extremely useful for any understanding of the crimes of US imperialism. But his scientific work, whose political implications Chomsky denies, have been coming under increasing criticism from the left.

Recently an academic Marxist author managed to get an interesting critique of Chomsky into The Times Literary Supplement. It raises some interesting concerns.

Engels was Right: Early Human Kinship was Matrilineal

Submitted by hedgehog on Sep 23 2012 19:07

The earliest human institution was not the nuclear family. The latest research now indicates that it was the communistic, female-centred clan.

Engels argued this in 1884. After a century of establishment denial, including complicity by 'Marxists', it now turns out that he was right after all.