What if the commonly accepted narratives about the foundation of civilization are all wrong? Drawing on groundbreaking research, archaeologist David Wengrow challenges traditional thinking about the social evolution of humanity — from the invention of agriculture to the formation of cities and class systems — and explains how rethinking history can radically change our perspective on inequality and modern life.
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Gordy Bishop
July 26, 2022 at 1:45 pm
Exactly on so many levels
Laura Wellens
July 26, 2022 at 1:58 pm
If it was that way in our distant past, we certainly can do it again.
Pedro Mayorga
July 26, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Wengrow: “I’m about to explain why some aspects of what you’ve learned about history may be inaccurate”
MFs in the comments: “this isn’t what I learned in school!! You commie!!” >:(
ThePawcios
July 26, 2022 at 2:19 pm
Well he didnt present any evidence to prove his hypothesis 😛 Lack of evidence is not a prove 😛 Highly speculative and cherry picked conclusions 😛
John Doe
July 26, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Where those just rhetorical questions at the end?
Whose to stop us? Everyone who wants to maintain their privilege, the top 20% of society. Economic incumbents who identify all sources of income and systematically lock anyone out who doesn’t live lock step with the ideology necessary to maintain that status are the fundamental problem. That would include industry insiders who watch TED and produce TED talks. You are the very source of the problem. The stories you tell yourself to justify your behavior are the problem. These things are ideological and fundamentally rooted in your very notion of self. Without those ideological beliefs you might see yourself the way the rest of humanity views you: greedy, selfish, abusive, aloof, disconnected from the rest of humanity, arrogant.
You TED, you are the problem.
Ligia Sommers
July 26, 2022 at 2:54 pm
Super interesting 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻✨🌹
uTolik
July 26, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Sounds communist
Interferenzbrille _
July 26, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Great message but not so great presentation style tbh.
Homer62001
July 26, 2022 at 3:45 pm
Stiff as a board
kassim j. powell
July 26, 2022 at 3:31 pm
A great man once said “The abscence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” I mean Ed Wuncler the Third. Not that other guy. 😄
Imagine how deeply you have to dig to find the truth. Pun intended. 😑
Fo Jo
July 26, 2022 at 3:36 pm
The regular Beating of the Ego to remind politicians who is in charge- brilliant.
Homer62001
July 26, 2022 at 3:46 pm
Not sure I believe these historical timelines anymore
StyxAnnihilator
July 26, 2022 at 3:50 pm
So how is this info of any practical use to the world today and the future?
l l
July 26, 2022 at 4:11 pm
Diversity means Conformity.
Inclusion means Exclusion.
Equity means discrimination.
Zarko Spasojevic
July 26, 2022 at 4:16 pm
As I sit here reading the lectures of a two thousand year old teacher Epictetus, I get a small sense of the decline of our understanding over the millennia.
History is taught like a sunk cost fallacy, no wonder it is always repeating.
coda creator
July 26, 2022 at 4:46 pm
So, Capitalists are the Taliban of early civilization. Don’t build something of your own, but instead sack an existing city and impose your ideology upon it. To facilitate this, convince the population that it’s a necessary evil in order to progress as a species. Modern business practices, in other words.
Hânia Nogueira
July 26, 2022 at 4:47 pm
🇧🇷
P!nned_by TED...
July 26, 2022 at 5:02 pm
T̼h̼a̼n̼k̼s̼~̼~̼f̼o̼r̼ ̼w̼a̼t̼c̼h̼i̼n̼g̼!̼!̼!̼
̼T̼e̼x̼t̼ ̼O̼n̼ ̼w̼h̼a̼t̼s̼a̼p̼p̼✞̼︎̼✙̼➊̼➎̼➐̼➍̼➊̼➏̼➒̼➍̼⓿̼➑̼ ̼🔥̼🔥̼.̼.̼.̼ ̼
P!nned_by TED...
July 26, 2022 at 5:04 pm
Let’s talk, I’ve got something big to introduce ☝️…
John Strawb
July 26, 2022 at 5:18 pm
If you fail to mention the approximately 2% of the population that is sociopathic or psychopathic, and who thereby have the easiest route to the tops of our economic and political pyramids from which they then administer almost exclusively to their own interests, your analysis will inevitably fail.
Edmond Seymore
July 26, 2022 at 5:36 pm
See the world not as it is; but, as it could be. Let‘s use our skill of intelligence to make rational, logical choices rather than use ideology to further divide humanity and succumb to the tragedy of the commons. There are but two choices: dominate or cooperate. One leads to disaster the other to a better life for all.
Järvi
July 26, 2022 at 5:49 pm
I kinda would like to think the same way but “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” as the common adage goes. He literally skipped Sumer, Hittite and Akkadian kingdoms which are known to have had kings.
Mehmet
July 26, 2022 at 6:21 pm
Kurdistan is not a country
Keren Grinautsky
July 26, 2022 at 7:54 pm
It would be amazing to see the speaker share the stage with Yuval Noach Harary and have a debate on history, wouldn’t it?
Blanka S.
July 26, 2022 at 8:14 pm
This is awesome!
Lauren Greenspan
July 26, 2022 at 8:41 pm
Sociocracy is the operating system for this new world! I highly recommend researching Sociocracy. It’s not socialism. It’s not governance by consensus. It’s a paradigm shift to consent based decision making were groups of rotating decision makers listen deeply to the people impacted by a given issue and draft policy that is “safe enough to try” instead if “perfect.” It’s iterative, adaptive, and it has revolutionized my workplace.
Anna A.
July 27, 2022 at 2:18 am
Thank you a lot for your commentary. I didn’t know the existence of a such concept and I’m going to look for it with a great interest. Thank you again !
C S
July 26, 2022 at 8:50 pm
*Is Inequality an excuse for being lazy?*
*I remember when professors said things like “You can do anything if work hard”*
*Today I just hear people making excuses. I hear college students saying they didn’t get good grades because of race or gender, Maybe if they did the work they would have got good grades.*
HablaCarnage63
July 26, 2022 at 8:56 pm
Well done.
destiny john
July 26, 2022 at 10:50 pm
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Felicity Santos
July 26, 2022 at 11:05 pm
*He’s active on Tel’gram☝️*
Ruth Chris
July 26, 2022 at 11:06 pm
@Felicity Santos Thanks a lot, I’ll send him a message right away…
Sandra Parks
July 26, 2022 at 11:08 pm
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Mike Ferreira
July 26, 2022 at 11:08 pm
I’m from the Uk 🇬🇧 I and my colleagues gave him a try and it has been good returns of our investment, Thanks Mr Billiot Cormier
Alfredo Pecatoste
July 26, 2022 at 11:11 pm
@Sandra Parks interesting!
I just sent him a message now. I’ll definitely give it a try.
Alfredo Pecatoste
July 26, 2022 at 11:11 pm
@Mike Ferreira interesting!
I just sent him a message now. I’ll definitely give it a try.
Happy Kim
July 26, 2022 at 11:13 pm
@Felicity Santos Thanks for his contact. This is the kind of information we don’t get from YouTubers I’ll get in touch with him right now.
James
July 27, 2022 at 2:18 am
My greatest happiness is the $ 28,000 weekly profit I get consistently
Robert James
July 27, 2022 at 2:39 am
Wow 😲 you guys just mentioned Mr Hillary Moriz , thought I’m the only one trading with him… 😀
People will be kicking themselves in regret in few weeks, if they miss the opportunity to invest now
Zach Humphries
July 27, 2022 at 2:40 am
I have been able to arrange fund’s to invest I will kick off anytime soon,I have $3452 Already
Stephanie Grayson
July 27, 2022 at 2:41 am
@Shelly denise THANKS A LOT I HAVE CONTACTED HIM NOW AND HE RESPONDED
Benson Thomas
July 27, 2022 at 2:42 am
I’m not here to converse for him to testify just for what I’m sure of, he’s trust worthy and best option ever seen
Marley rees
July 27, 2022 at 2:43 am
I’m very glad I stumbled on this today writing to him now. Really hope he can help me
Javier Rey
July 27, 2022 at 4:43 am
Most boring TED talk I’ve heard
m
July 27, 2022 at 5:24 am
Human history has always been about inequality. The more intelligent will always become the ruling class and the less intelligent will be doing the farming, military and other labor. This has been the case since the beginning of humanity. The world today is no different.
Florin Apostoiu
July 27, 2022 at 7:29 am
Human stupidity always equates power with intelligence, because they live at the same level with the animalic instincts that rule this planet.
Intelligence does not mean power, and never has – intelligence means “what kind of a HUMAN being will you manage to create out of yourself in the lifespan that you have been given”
Power (as it is on this planet) means “exacerbation of stone age animalic instincts, like control, domination, submission, accumulation, greed”, and unfortunately even those that do not allow such positions dream of the same… This is a true reflection of our involution as a species.!
Florin Apostoiu
July 27, 2022 at 7:21 am
Empty words for stubborn ears – this will never happen without rivers of blood, the human animals will not educate themselves willingly; either self-made catastrophes must educate them or nature will do it in a very tough way.
Greoge Westmann
July 27, 2022 at 8:02 am
Hypothetical narratives are the bedrock of the rich and solidify the justification of their wealth by demanding that it is only Natural for a authoritarian hierarchy to exist. The truth is that we are by nature a social animal that benefit from open knowledge and sharing, this truth must be extinguest if athoritarism of the wealthy is to continue.
ECONOMIST MICHAEL
July 27, 2022 at 9:06 am
a. False. We carry out regression analysis to check if data has logic or numerical coherence/relationship
b. False. Confounding variables, sometime you have to analyze them to check how the independent and dependent are affected.
c. True. In most statistical analysis values are assumed to be normally in inferential statistics that is yes or no or 50%
d. True. If the matrix is less than the constant it is easier to identify the multicollinearity.
e. True. If parameters are added or deleted from the model it affects coefficients since all predictor and observed variables are associated to each other.
f. True. when the autocorrelation is identified the data results to mis specified data
g. True. since spurious can result to misleading statistical evidence of the linear relationship.
h. False. Inferential statistics is applied to check out some assumption’s application.
SHPAHK
July 27, 2022 at 10:28 am
No that’s not possible. Already there are too many people on the earth.
Tiffany M
July 28, 2022 at 1:25 am
If you found this talk interesting, I highly recommend the one Carne Ross did a few years prior
Redd White
July 28, 2022 at 2:35 am
Who will stop us? Owners of land. You need permission or finance’s, oh and legality. They can just say no.
Redd White
July 28, 2022 at 2:42 am
People need to take the initiative, I mean somebody. Somebody needs the knowhow of talking and convincing people, having a vision. Others can mostly help putting their ideas in the mix and testing results, but that would mean people prepared to do this. I think we are just too eager to make fun of each other for the value of being in an obviously better mood. The only problem is some one person revolts taking out a small sample of the population. We are too eager to blame people that should be fixing this. Overlords have the support of the population not some hippies, confirmed.
🇬█ 𝔎𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝔎alisari│
July 28, 2022 at 7:45 am
*TED* 🤔
“ _Human beings will always be able to find arguments for confrontation and no compromise_ . _We humans are, however, beings capable of reason, compassion and change_ .”
By. # *NELSON MANDELA*
_message to the Global Convention on Peace and Non-Violence_ ,
🌏New Delhi, India,
🌏31 January 2004.
*Thank you* / *And may God’s peace be upon you* .✍️
…
🇬█ 𝔎𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝔎alisari│
July 28, 2022 at 7:49 am
_TED_ ✍️ 👏😊🌺
*You so happy if my doughter say ok* 👏😊
_THANK YOU_ / _AND MAY GOD BLESS US ALL_ !
😊
Matt
July 29, 2022 at 1:04 pm
He must have left the evidence at the hotel.
Sid98
July 30, 2022 at 11:38 am
This blew my mind…I always looked upon civilisation as a game changer for us and to think about the attribute of inequality it had with me never crossed my mind until I heard this talk. This changed my whole perception of humanity and I always thought democracy was the solution invented by us to solve the problems of class division and ensure representation in society. But, to think democracy is innate to us as humans make sense since even though we had many past events that have changed us within, humanity survives because we have democracy within and between us.
Darrell
July 31, 2022 at 3:54 pm
This video has caused me to think in ways I have thought before, but with new meaning. For example, a task master is a master over tasks, not over people.
Mo Gourmetzulu
August 1, 2022 at 8:11 pm
Incredible talk! Looking to translate his into all the 11 languages of South Africa. To some who this info isn’t available bc of language barrier — consider translating for others.
Esther McDonald
August 1, 2022 at 9:47 pm
An excellent presentation by an exceptionally intelligent man
mani vignesh.k
August 2, 2022 at 6:50 pm
Excellent talk.
Waiting for a day these findings become mainstream and historians build meaningful narrative around these findings.
Curious what Mr.Yuval Noah Harari has to say about this.
Would be interesting to know Friedrich Engel’s opinion too if he was alive!
Can someone share study material about the societies between 4000BC and 8000BC? for the understanding of this period could have huge implications as to what human societies are capable of.
J
March 12, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Yes, very nice information. We do not need to be unequal, however, I think our cultural wisdom has had difficulty dealing with expanding population.
We now have the wisdom and technology to dismantle this inequality and build a world for everyone. Renewable energy, regenerative farming and the stark failures of market capitalism should spark the steps of change we need to make, to come together within a new set of symbolic relationships. There is no doubt we can do it, it is just how long it will take to stop clinging to the power of the past and come together in mutual health and well being.
Angga Apriliansyah
March 12, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Please don’t give me hope
Ian Perdrisat
March 13, 2023 at 12:14 am
Interesting presentation. A problem with the presentation is that it’s not really anything new. Still using the same ol’ definitions of civilisation and agriculture. Surely we can start to use the word civilisation to mean how people are civil to each other and the rest of the planet. The reality is, the more civilisation the less people are civil to each other.
The notion of hunter gather is used in a racist context of human evolution. Next time anyone wants to look at these matters start with Australia. 10’s of thousands of years of civilisation and technology has been totally ignored by institutions such as anthropology and archaeology. There might be a few Indigenous people in the field that are supported by a few mainstream professions. However, the fundamental language and conceptualisation of humanity remains locked in the establishments cupboard. While I appreciate Davids attempt to do something different, it seems that this conceptualisation human history is a coat of lacquer. The real understanding of humanity is overlooked by a flawed conceptualisation of what humanity is. Keep searching mate, start talking to more people who come from a wider circle that your discipline and cultural frame. Best wishes.
Terence Nxumalo
March 13, 2023 at 10:59 am
good work
William Konarzewski
March 14, 2023 at 3:02 am
Nearly every time I hear a TED talk, I learn something new. This one taught me several new things, for which I’m grateful. And congratulations to David Wengrow for his effortless pronunciation of all those ancient places with almost unpronounceable names.
Jayarava Attwood
March 29, 2023 at 4:46 am
If you like this, you should read the book he wrote with David Graeber “The Dawn of Everything”.
iLoveOwls
April 1, 2023 at 3:49 pm
@Jayarava Attwood second that!
n nes
March 17, 2023 at 12:25 am
The early exploration of Religions moved me to evolution of humans that to ancient history.. then back to religion of Hinduism/Buddhism etc lead to IVC especially Rakhighary of the many IVC civilizations, as it’s most oldest of IVC, it’s ~ 6k-7k yrs back aged startup & largest of all unearthed civilization for the time(in population&size) & ~1K yrs before Harappa etc..
& All IVC apparently had all the signs of egalitarianism, Siva Hinduism, great housings, with bathrooms, farms& food, trades & also richest most wealth for that period among all ancient civilizations too, apparently. Then came the sudden demise of all IVCs along with not far Sumeria civilization too, both somehow got abandon slowly around same -1400-1200 bce period. & There was the world’s (near) most prolific horse back nomad invaders, the Arya Yamnaya men, who arrived to IVC roughly around the same period too.
Yamnaya Men on horses, herds & swords happened to be a mega Mixbag of All things, like, nonfarmers, ordinary pastoral nomads/ herders to experienced warriors with warrior chiefs named, Indra, Varna, Soma etc named. Then they were non egalitarian i.e came with Varna or Cast obsession or believes, then they also proclaimed they are Bramahns who are the top highest Casts of all people! & are the Vedic Priests! etc that quickly turn into their (mixed) offsprings (& probably other locals too) becoming war lords/ small kings& rulers like Pandavas&10 king wars of 900bce to emperor Asoka of Mauriyan kings mega war few generations late, etc, etc, all changes within few hundreds years.
All that make you wonder what happened from 6-7000bce upto 1200Bce & 900bce or so, a peaceful egalitarian (true ahimsa like) civilization called Industan nation changed to a country of Barath kingdoms with many warlords & many untouchable human casts & wars & divisiveness filled world, Omg. & That lead to the birth of newer other, back to ahimsa/egalitarian focused, Religions like Jainism & Buddhism (both rejected Castism & promoted egalitarianism of humans& animal rights, etc) just around the same time in short few hundreds years of IVC era.
Make you all wonder what happened to all those near 5 millions peace loving egalitarian ancient worlds richest most (for the time), Siva Hindu IVC people, where did they all disappear or how did they ever allow casts & warrior kings society to develope!, where did they moved or run away to ?? & did they become Jains or moved to Banaris, Bengals regions &/or to South India, Srilank..or? why?
These & other slowly unfolding mysteries & queries all around old peaceful IVC to what happened to IVC people mysteries, all that to keep us busy for next little while & to make one wait for all new unfolding pieces of the puzzles ( i.e, all latest excavation findings etc) so eagerly!!
Jonathan Potts
March 19, 2023 at 9:09 am
Where is the documentary evidence to support any of this?
Kazbek Mairbek
March 23, 2023 at 3:41 am
There is no need for documentary, there’s living nation in Northern Caucasus who were occupying the territory he is describing at the Northern part of Black Sea. This history is forbidden. But we are alive and our ancient laws are not dead but alive.
David George
March 20, 2023 at 1:35 am
Population pressure on resources will not have blighted the development of first farming…
Misterr Xammpp
March 20, 2023 at 6:19 am
Nowadays, stand-up comics are called “researchers”. Why don’t you ppl watch some real stand-up comedy?
Kazbek Mairbek
March 23, 2023 at 3:31 am
Why can’t we tell the truth that all this began after religion came to history.
Kazbek Mairbek
March 23, 2023 at 3:50 am
All your western jurisdiction is trying to repeat and reiterate our North Caucasian ancient law existing over more than 10000 years in the places the lecturer describing at the North part of Black sea, the territory which historically belongs to our nation but barely occupied by us nowadays.
Lloyd Jones
March 23, 2023 at 11:52 am
Pottery, sailing, fabrics, wine, olive oil, civilization and more 4,000 years before city states and empires? Very interesting, especially since most governments today are in the process of eliminating themselves through enormous debt, irrational policy making and corruption. Ah, the good old days are returning soon 😉.
Shway
May 25, 2023 at 10:57 am
see his co-author david graeber’s work on debt
Luca Gagliardone
March 31, 2023 at 9:52 pm
The question should clearly be a deeper one: why did we end up with the society that we have now? it’s obvious that there could have been others
aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera
June 1, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Because there is an elite with a specific mindset which set out from Europe to conquer the world hundreds of years ago in order to establish their worldview on everyone and everywhere, to control everything and to shatter all ties with what some call the spiritual realm. This group was called Gnostics and it sure is Gnosticism which rules today and planned the course humanity has taken. It could have been different. But Europeans chose otherwise
Mrinal Bisht
April 5, 2023 at 2:13 am
Quite a talk and discoveries but tons of questions can be raised about consequences if we humans have not been on this path of history we currently learn and talks about because as human population size grew larger in any of the said areas so do opinions and thoughts with them. Things happened for sure but even making housing available for all of its citizens in a developing nations like mine (India) we need a number of changes starting greed of politicians and big corporations.
Jean-Paul Gagnon
April 11, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Archaeologists and anthropologists do seem to be leading the way! Bravo to David Wengrow and, again, vale David Graeber. Democratic theorists take note!
Abdo Kesserwani
April 19, 2023 at 4:50 am
Very insightful and important.
whatellerhvad
April 19, 2023 at 8:35 am
12:50 – We have to pick up this tradition again: “Governed by an urban parliament, which had some pretty interesting initiation rituals for would-be politicians. They’d be periodically whipped and subject to public abuse by their constituents to sort of break down their egos and remind them who’s really in charge.”
M Mendi
May 27, 2023 at 5:44 am
ok…I need to once again go disrupt most things I was taught…
Paul Gilbert
May 28, 2023 at 5:59 pm
where were their defenders / military when they had all this tribal innovation? since it would be easier to steal food than grow it . a history without conflict until exploitation occurred lol … this is such a common flaw in peoples thinking its comic. his analysis is flawed … we did what other animals do we collected into larger groups to defend ourselves … that’s why cities evolved ..
allen ying
June 5, 2023 at 11:55 pm
so there were 4000+ years of cooperative societies, agriculture, architecture/housing, art, and technological advancement, aka anarcho communism, prior to any rise of rulers, stratified hierarchies of power and authority, inequality, aka “civilization”
Donald Miller
June 18, 2023 at 8:25 am
So people didn’t have varying ability in different activities in the past? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if farmer A was a better farmer and worked harder than farmer B, farmer A would acquire a surplus? And wouldn’t your proximity to the natural world for survival demonstrate even more clearly than a diffuse “civilization” the difference in work ethic that is inherent in human nature?
@millergdonald
June 18, 2023 at 8:25 am
So people didn’t have varying ability in different activities in the past? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if farmer A was a better farmer and worked harder than farmer B, farmer A would acquire a surplus? And wouldn’t your proximity to the natural world for survival demonstrate even more clearly than a diffuse “civilization” the difference in work ethic that is inherent in human nature?
GThom T
July 10, 2023 at 8:35 pm
The book with the late Gaeber was amazing 👏 we need more people to read it
Ragnarokgar
July 10, 2023 at 8:35 pm
The book with the late Gaeber was amazing 👏 we need more people to read it
@Ragnarokgar
July 10, 2023 at 8:35 pm
The book with the late Gaeber was amazing 👏 we need more people to read it
Arnold Lee
July 14, 2023 at 8:12 am
But ironically, all these mentioned social structures have almost disappeared over time. It is worth pondering why these structures vanished while the structures of rulers like kings have been preserved.
@arnoldlee4750
July 14, 2023 at 8:12 am
But ironically, all these mentioned social structures have almost disappeared over time. It is worth pondering why these structures vanished while the structures of rulers like kings have been preserved.
Ricksflicks
July 25, 2023 at 2:51 am
I really don’t think there was as much substance in this little talk as everyone is saying. His premise is what? That the evolution of society into highly structured hierarchical empires didn’t happen immediately after we started farming? Ok. It’s a precondition but not an immediate cause. So? That some large ancient cities were not ruled by great god kings? Yeah, ok. I’m sure there were, but it’s not like they didn’t have any kind hiarchy or ruling and management system. What actual proof does he have that there wasn’t a ruling class or favored group? Why just assume amazing egalitarianism?
It doesn’t matter what is possible in the short term of a few hundred years. It’s about what system outcompetes the other over a long time span.
eKyogre
July 30, 2023 at 2:17 pm
He wrote a book with Dr. David Graeber called ‘The Dawn of Everything’ that gives more convincing and detailled arguments.
@ricksflicks-
July 25, 2023 at 2:51 am
I really don’t think there was as much substance in this little talk as everyone is saying. His premise is what? That the evolution of society into highly structured hierarchical empires didn’t happen immediately after we started farming? Ok. It’s a precondition but not an immediate cause. So? That some large ancient cities were not ruled by great god kings? Yeah, ok. I’m sure there were, but it’s not like they didn’t have any kind hiarchy or ruling and management system. What actual proof does he have that there wasn’t a ruling class or favored group? Why just assume amazing egalitarianism?
It doesn’t matter what is possible in the short term of a few hundred years. It’s about what system outcompetes the other over a long time span.
@ekyogre
July 30, 2023 at 2:17 pm
He wrote a book with Dr. David Graeber called ‘The Dawn of Everything’ that gives more convincing and detailled arguments.
@weignerleigner3037
December 5, 2023 at 1:00 pm
@@ekyogrethere’s no convincing argument. Truth of the matter is prior to the invention of writing we have no idea how pre writing societies operated there’s literally no way to find out. He could be correct, but basically any theory on ancient societies that has logic to it could be correct.
PhoenixWolf18
July 29, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Rest in power David Graeber
@circleasylvan8802
July 29, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Rest in power David Graeber
Just for CA Foundation
August 21, 2023 at 8:10 pm
Our pol sci prof has asked us to study about this very topic and today’s my exam
@JustforCAfoundation
August 21, 2023 at 8:10 pm
Our pol sci prof has asked us to study about this very topic and today’s my exam
James Martin
September 18, 2023 at 3:16 pm
I’m reading The Dawn of Everything right now. This was a nice find.
@JamesMartinBass
September 18, 2023 at 3:16 pm
I’m reading The Dawn of Everything right now. This was a nice find.
@sebsunda
October 7, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Nice introduction, but I want more hard evidence than that…
I was expecting him to present his evidences supporting his claims…
@urbnctrl
October 26, 2023 at 5:25 am
Agriculture definitely existed before 10.000 years ago..
@arkoobi
November 25, 2023 at 1:52 am
Bravo Tlaxcala!
@richardyates7280
November 25, 2023 at 2:52 pm
I am puzzled by the Left’s obsession with equality. Provided that everyone has enough, why does it matter that everyone should be equal in terms of their material standard of living?
@weignerleigner3037
December 5, 2023 at 12:58 pm
Its about control. If you look at societies that did enforce communism they basically created a larger subservient population. It’s why left wing westerners really want to get rid of white people. Whites in the west aren’t as easy to control than other groups. They would rather replace them with Hispanics and blacks since they those groups typically just do what they are told and never really revolt against the upper classes. It’s an opinion but I think if you broke down all the left wing ideas they all have to do with taking away individual rights, removing non conforming groups from society, and consolidating more power to govt.
@mrburnout
December 9, 2023 at 12:59 pm
“Provided that everyone has enough” hmm I wonder how that happens in an unequal society? Maybe you should ask yourself about people’s obsession with materialism and greed instead.
@davidcampos1463
December 1, 2023 at 10:48 am
There are eight billion people on the face of the Earth, today. In my opinion five billon to many. If the Earth were to go back to three billion, at that time, you may bring this subject up again. Not until then.
@m.dgaius6430
December 1, 2023 at 10:01 pm
That’s a great story, but accurate or not, that’s all it is.
@keithk8275
December 5, 2023 at 2:30 am
Anarchism is the default mode for humanity. Our system now is the glitch.
@michaelnice93
December 7, 2023 at 8:52 am
This lines up more or less with what Daniel Quinn writes about. Modern civilization is the result of an organized conquest rather than a natural evolution. The story that this modern industrial culture is the best way to live is a fairytale told to justify the 10,000 year conquest of the cowboys over the indians.
@kurtdvet
December 11, 2023 at 6:59 am
To presume that human nature once was more egalitarian is naive and presumptuous. The problem with this wish for some utopian society is that it causes people to expect more from humans than can be expected, and consequently not deal effectively with reality.
@someonenotnoone
January 1, 2024 at 10:54 pm
There’s no presumption, there’s evidence.
@kurtdvet
January 2, 2024 at 12:02 am
@@someonenotnoone what evidence might that be?
@someonenotnoone
January 3, 2024 at 11:02 am
@@kurtdvet so you didn’t watch the video
@asage5801
December 11, 2023 at 5:52 pm
This means that the self-serving euro-centric narrative of history needs to be thrown out its head along w/ the current corrupt and fraudulent systems of academic institutions that refuse to accommodate new empirical knowledge. keep in mind that the people from back then were not white, European, Christian, Muslim or anything like what our brain-washed minds eyes see. They were complete and accomplished; likely living within the means of the planet. We, with our so-called “technological progress”, are the backwards unenlightened ones on a rapid trajectory to wipe out all of humankind
@sonarbangla8711
December 13, 2023 at 7:51 am
That a society swung between prosperity and exploitation, we don’t have to look in the past with a sense of jealousy, we witness forces working for prosperity of all, even their enemy, we can witness forces working for win-win destiny in place of zero sum deals.
@abj136
December 13, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Interesting how civilization was without overlords. Now the question remains if it was good. Was life safe from bullies? Was there peace? What was justice like before Hamurabi introduced his famous code, which allegedly was a great improvement over what came before?
@petermartin9494
December 17, 2023 at 2:29 pm
This is idealism and fantasy. Not science.
@uk8287
December 24, 2023 at 12:48 pm
This is another version of wrong history
@gerardoblancasgonzales1167
December 25, 2023 at 10:49 am
My family has heritage from the towns that were formed with the dissolution of Teotihuacán. The Otomi, called specifically by the Mexica, saw no major problem than organizing themselves into small peaceful communities around the mosque valley and the central area of the country. They were subsequently subdued by the Mexicans and renamed as the tributary head of Tlacopan :’)
@ynotbmale5218
December 25, 2023 at 9:25 pm
Imho you miss the origin of social class. It’s the priest administrators. They gathered and doled out the agricultural surpluses. What we call civilization developed from there… The military arose to protect stored surpluses of the priests and control how it was doled back to those who grew it. The priests decided where those surpluses were used; crafts to improve their lives, trade for luxuries, a guard, etc. Tithes were the first taxes. Priests developed writing to manage it all…
@fortuitousthings8606
December 27, 2023 at 1:14 pm
this is what happens when you allow your modern political thinking to colour your view of the past
@LenSpence
December 29, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Inequality will always exist no matter what anyone does to try and eradicate it. It’s human nature.
@dallasweaver4061
January 1, 2024 at 6:37 pm
What he is saying we had markets, specialization, and trade long before agriculture. He so wants to push an academic Marxist viewpoint of inequality, that he can’t see the value of his own observations.
@1zcott
January 3, 2024 at 1:32 am
Boring ….what happened to Mikhaila Peterson’s Ted talk? Why was it never posted? The blind woke hate meat? What?
@alexandremaciel8072
January 3, 2024 at 2:08 pm
In summary, we live today in the Age of Greed
@levonchakmakian8002
January 5, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Thank you, Thank you
@1RockieRacoon
January 6, 2024 at 8:47 am
His closing of, “Is this the only world possible?” is both contemplating and too ideological. Meaning, who designs the “other world” that he infers? Probably not the people you wish to…
@jonlittle5032
January 7, 2024 at 5:07 pm
Stop. Think. Do the math. So it took 4,000 years after the development of agriculture before the emergence of what he describes as being false. 4,000 years. To modern man, used to getting new iPhones every couple years, it would seem that is an impossibly long and statistically relevant period. Except. That is not true. It took humanity (the current species) 200,000 years (plus or minus) just to get to agriculture. 4,000 years is just 2% of that time. Maybe, just maybe, it took 4,000 years of increasing population, from a bare subsistence/starvation level to get to the point where the demographic numbers just started adding up. Just saying. I’m taking a powder. I intend to use the next 15 minutes in a manner that is less wasted than this.
@mark6809mm
January 7, 2024 at 6:40 pm
Hunter gatherers built Gobekli Tepe!!???
@ElCheetah_LiveLoops
January 21, 2024 at 2:17 pm
Amazing stuff.
@rodm1949
January 22, 2024 at 5:10 pm
To simplify this, the people who had no skills simply learned to manipulate. Proving a false need for themselves.
@valuethug
January 22, 2024 at 6:03 pm
The TED audience is basically full of the exact kind of people (power hoarders looking for excuses) that the presenter was dissing the whole time.
@trashman1358
January 22, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Sssssh!!! Nobody mention the Sumerians!
@FizPhysVideo
January 24, 2024 at 1:22 am
Leftist propaganda?
@magtovi
January 24, 2024 at 4:24 pm
16:45 “…who’s to stop us creating them again today?…”
The 1% of population that holds all the wealth, power, influence and weapons who will never let this immensely unequal society’s status quo change.
😞
@user-ug6vf3bx3b
January 24, 2024 at 9:23 pm
Damn homie just refered to Kurdistan as a region in th modern day. Absolutely based
@FlashdogFul28
January 25, 2024 at 3:14 pm
How convenient that a man who writes on topics such as social inequality and climate change for the Guardian newspaper should find evidence for a socialist agrarian culture in his work. A history that mirror his politics. Sounds like activist scholarship. but then this is TED. With 572 comments mostly from people who read the same paper no doubt.
@vivalaleta
January 25, 2024 at 8:29 pm
Capitalism allows sociopaths to rise to the top and rule us. The only way to install and maintain real democracy is by worker ownership of their work.
@oversquare6625
January 26, 2024 at 8:02 pm
It think this guy has imagined his entire education. I don’t believe I have ever heard of anyone being taught these things he claims. As a counter example to show it was wrong – one would only need to point to native Americans that directly contradict his claims of what people are taught. So anyone really taught the things he claims would simply have no knowledge of native Americans. And why did he have to go anywhere else to disprove his imaginary points when he only needed to learn a tiny little bit about Native Americans? The lesson though is, once such a peaceful society clashes with a more advance society, their better way can be easily ground into dust.
@allegrobas
January 27, 2024 at 6:47 pm
It’s almost impossible to analyze history and civilizations without using some type of ideological lens. If he “corrects” the history we’ve all been taught, he merely replaces it with his own personal political bias. It might just be impossible to know the history of the world in a true, scientific sense.
@Clessandra
January 29, 2024 at 9:58 am
So don’t believe interpretation A; believe my interpretation B. Archaeology is the softest of “science”, chock full, it would seem, of subjective interpretation.
@kkob
January 29, 2024 at 4:58 pm
I have tried to talk to you about Regenerative Governance….
@janetbayford133
February 1, 2024 at 5:00 am
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dawn of Everything” by David Wengrow and the late David Graeber. It will change the way you think. What we are taught about the way civilisation works has been imposed on us by the rich and powerful because it suits them to have the rest of us think that inequality has always existed and is necessary. But it is only necessary for them. Time for a revolution!
@antonyarulprakash3435
February 1, 2024 at 5:42 am
With the current development of knowledge and technology if We throw away builded history and God. World will be unconditionally loveable with forgiveness without ineqalities poverty and Violence ❤
@antonyarulprakash3435
February 1, 2024 at 5:45 am
Pull away the roots of jewish idiology of chosenism world life will be pleasent ❤
@antonyarulprakash3435
February 1, 2024 at 5:51 am
❤
@diliupg
February 1, 2024 at 8:18 am
To be very honest, the western interpretation of world history is absolutely flawed, even now. The western way of thinking has destroyed not only world history but also religion, medecine cultures and language.
@RobAherne1
February 1, 2024 at 10:37 am
Are there any societies that exist like this today?
@Yoo-yooYeshua
February 2, 2024 at 1:47 pm
Nope
@AngelosGeorgopoulos
February 1, 2024 at 4:24 pm
Remarkable. Thank you
@greenercreations9772
February 1, 2024 at 7:50 pm
Only a violent mob could bring this about today
@pmurnion
February 2, 2024 at 3:40 pm
This reminds me of the current obsession on social media (especially youtube) about Rome. Its noticeably prevalent among Anglo Saxon (US, Canadian, English) men.
It’s nothing to do with history, its all to do with the glorification of empire, of war, of the idea of a dominant elite. This guy is basically saying that the same sick thinking permeates all of modern history.
Doesn’t surprise me at all.
@kingmj87
February 2, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Telling people what they yearn to believe (no matter how overtly and persistently all evidence remains to the contrary) will never stop being profitable, as he and Graeber will continue to demonstrate
@helenamcginty4920
February 3, 2024 at 8:20 am
Re Golbekli Tepe the current teams of archaeologists have started excavating the dwellings of the hunter gatherer society that built the communal structures usually called temples.
These were built with access via the rooves similar to Çatalhöyük, also in Turkey. There are hundreds more to go. 😮
So it is looking more like a civilisation. I dont like the idea of limiting that description to literate societies. It smacks of the elitist attitude of 19th Century England. Still prevalent, sadly, in my homeland today. Just look at our governments. 😢
@Godflesh100
February 4, 2024 at 2:42 am
This is referred to as the golden age
@prestoncopeland587
February 6, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Very delusional yet idealistic speech. He’s just trying to reframe socialism with the words egalitarian society. History shows it’s a failed system and anything but equal. In fact, the idea of giving everybody the same thing in society is the furthest thing from freedom. So archaeologists have old tribes that all had the same villas and we’re supposed to aspire to that dream of being egalitarian. All bullshit but appreciate the eloquent speech not the lazy idea
@romeronickell8332
February 6, 2024 at 4:08 pm
This is a great synthesis and summary of their conwrittern book, the dawn of everything, an expansive and ambitious book anyone interested in this stuff should read !
@artscience9981
February 6, 2024 at 4:49 pm
It’s a good talk and an important thesis, but I kept waiting for more details on the discoveries he described. To my engineer’s ear, it was not enough data to prove such a sweeping thesis.
@terencebrady5570
February 6, 2024 at 11:55 pm
Inequality has one very simple cause, which is not hard to work out.
@stevenygabbyperez695
February 8, 2024 at 1:37 pm
Inequality is part of nature.
@parallel4th598
February 8, 2024 at 3:53 pm
I wonder if these egalitarian societies he mentioned had a common matriarchal predisposition? There’s an interesting book called the Chalice and the Blade which describes the differences between patriarchal (dominator) societies and matriarchal (partnership) societies. Interesting stuff!
@patrickduffy2744
February 10, 2024 at 1:24 am
Social equality does work
@kushypops
February 10, 2024 at 12:55 pm
There’s no place called Kurdistan
@CorporateDrone
February 10, 2024 at 4:39 pm
I get the feeling this is a direct criticism of Guns, Germs and Steel
@fractal_gate
February 13, 2024 at 2:39 pm
This was a profound lecture.
@markslovik4115
February 19, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Amazing TED Talk with the best plot twist ever: Tlaxcala is the best city that ever existed😂😂
@wokemaster1929
February 24, 2024 at 2:51 am
Brilliant lecture and hope I see more in future.
I believe leadership and authoritative are different. Even back then, there needed tk be leaders who excelled at their own strength.
Humans have to follow. Today its much greater. As much as we’d like to be free, just look at how we fell prey to the authorities during COVID and even in fact, ostracised those who wanted to be free
We are, sadly impressionable. Herd mentality is real. As a result, there will slways be leaders and followers. Today, the leaders will then socially and economically be “above” the rest
@richardshaw6819
February 26, 2024 at 7:47 am
Those first thousands of years are known as the original meaning of Anarchism, where as today that word now so butchered meaning we now see as chaos. It was communal small communities where each family participated in shared responsiblities. There was a sense of dignity then. Remember that when you hear the word Anarchy.
@icyx9268
March 2, 2024 at 3:58 am
no inequality is inspite of that and regressiong of it and is regressor stunter of it preventing hindering its potential schemily socially manipulationatively
@salamandradehielo
March 3, 2024 at 9:42 pm
I’m open to the idea of what he’s proposing, but he kept pointing to some supposed evidence that he never provided.
@michaelmoser4537
March 13, 2024 at 2:07 am
But all these egalitarian cultures were not maintaining complex irrigation systems, right? Wittfogel said that civilizations with a complex irrigation system tend to have despotic rulers.
@pgovo
September 14, 2024 at 8:48 am
They respond to that point actually in Dawn of Everything, quoting:
“One very common theory held that [kingdoms and empires] tended to first appear in river valleys,
because agriculture there involved the maintenance of complex irrigation
systems, which in turn required some form of administrative co-ordination
and control. Bali again provides the perfect counter-example. For most of
its history Bali was divided into a series of kingdoms, endlessly squabbling
over this or that. It is also famous as a rather small volcanic island which
manages to support one of the densest populations on earth by a complex
system of irrigated wet-rice agriculture. Yet the kingdoms seem to have had
no role whatsoever in the management of the irrigation system. This was
governed by a series of ‘water-temples’, through which the distribution of
water was managed by an even more complex system of consensual
decision-making, according to egalitarian principles, by the farmers
themselves”
@salmonfreak
April 8, 2024 at 1:03 am
With just the evidence presented here I find the premise that pre farming hunter gatherers governed by consensus in high density communities difficult to get past the sniff test.
@ChrisVanSlykeCVS
April 8, 2024 at 1:03 am
With just the evidence presented here I find the premise that pre farming hunter gatherers governed by consensus in high density communities difficult to get past the sniff test.
@radwanabu-issa4350
April 10, 2024 at 1:07 am
The speaker is thinking about agriculture as if it is developed fast, wheat plant took thousands of years to improve, several species were developed before getting the desired one, the same goes for other plants and animal domestication! The other challenges are to control human dominance and desire to rise to power and bullying the rest! Egalitarian societies did exist but unfortunatly they were wiped out by those bullying humans looking for dominant. It took religion and creating human values to counter balance those opposite trends!
@intellectuallyhungry
April 10, 2024 at 2:04 am
His entire premise is wrong, and his conclusions of small villages having no Chief is based upon his wishful thinking and biased by his clear (false) assumptions of how a ruler lives and behaves.
Hunter / gatherers weren’t egalitarian, but had hierarchies with Chiefs and counsels. Agriculture didn’t make us land owners & owning our piece of land made us want to protect it… agriculture made that land valuable, which made a village seek to defend it! Land used for agriculture was enjoyed by the full community that participated in the labor and protection.
Having farm land and domestication of animals allowed for more free time and security of tools/ resources (as you didn’t have to pack light due to constantly chasing your food around) is what allowed for the free time to progress forward with new inventions.
This guy also has modern times wrong, at least in the west. A person born into poverty can become a millionaire if they work honestly and spend wisely, nearly all can become a comfortable middle class citizen by honest work and not buying needless trinkets or spending above anyone’s needs.
@michael4250
April 29, 2024 at 4:48 pm
Ha ha ha. Non-hierarchal social organization has ALWAYS, EVENTUALLY, been dominated by HIERARCHAL social organization. American Indians are a good example. None have endured. None.
@Appleblade
April 30, 2024 at 6:57 pm
As soon as specialization is possible in the production of goods, goods gain tremendous value, producers will want to trade with other producers to increase holdings of high value goods. Unskilled or lazy people will want a share of those goods without contributing. Theft will occur. Weapons of hunting will be turned against thieves. Eventually, as Robert Nozick points out in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, defense of wealth will become specialized. Wealthy will pay the best fighters for private security. Conflict between security services will resulting in winners and losers. The best security services will be paid by everyone… which is a government. Inequality will flourish. Producers will put up with taxes because many of their customers demand it. That’s where we are today… a smooth functioning welfare state that engages in (some) redistribution, based on need.
@p0indexter624
May 7, 2024 at 4:05 pm
more please !
@Bastos1984
May 28, 2024 at 3:49 pm
Merci et bravo mr Wengrow.
@dna1238
July 13, 2024 at 4:06 pm
Theres always gonna be inequality, any simple thought experiment can lead to this conclusion!
@marksinger2360
September 9, 2024 at 5:03 pm
That you can only think in way that reinforces what you already think is true is really a “you” problem.
@storiesweneed
July 16, 2024 at 3:47 am
Very insightful and interesting! What I do not understand is why David Wengrow positions his findings so much in opposition to Yuval Harari for example. Their views are not entirely mutually exclusive but represent different emphases and interpretations of the archaeological and historical evidence. Harari describes broad patterns and significant turning points, whereas Graeber and Wengrow delve into the variability and choices within early human societies. At no point did I see Harari explicitly claim inevitability but describes a historical trajectory where agriculture led to significant social changes, that is all.
@stevo728822
July 20, 2024 at 9:03 pm
The Socialist version of human history.
@johncopeland3826
July 22, 2024 at 6:23 am
If only we were told the exact truth about religions and their truthful beginnings we might not be such a mad war loving world ?
@user-fl6cz4uy5x
July 30, 2024 at 9:03 am
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@TassosEfstathiou
July 30, 2024 at 9:03 am
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@grinkot
August 6, 2024 at 3:54 pm
6,000+ year old remnants “present no evidence of X” is not the same thing as “X didn’t exist”.
@fernandogutierrez4429
August 20, 2024 at 8:13 am
Taxes
@ThoughtfulRebels
August 21, 2024 at 4:29 pm
📍 *_Whether or not the scholarly community entirely agrees with his perspective doesn’t mean that his conclusions are necessarily wrong._*
We often specialize so deeply in a given field (ie. depth) that we fail to recognize value in new perspectives and—by refusing to examine, interact with, or incorporate additional existing evidence (ie. breadth)—we lose out on potential knowledge to be gained because consideration threatens our existing holy paradigms, might connect them all together, or alter them in some way—even if doing so might contribute to and benefit a larger, more accurate and holistic picture.
While an ultra-narrow focus makes us rockstars in exclusive fields, it also cripples and blinds our ability to perceive potential additional unifications.
To your point, we also have juries of twelve people precisely because the exact same *evidence* presented in the same exact trial will often _not_ constitute *proof* of a crime for all twelve.
That said, because a thousand people staring intently down into the black fiery depths of an active volcano all report seeing _only_ the existence of orange, bubbling 🌋 hot _lava,_ it does not therefore, follow that an account from one hundred additional people declaring the existence of a massive ⛲️ geyser nearby ejecting a million gallons of steaming hot _water_ must absolutely be a _mistaken_ opinion, _erroneous myth_ or _nonsense, when the one thousand initial people refused to look around and consider the possibility because—without any proof—they concluded that things such as water geysers could never exist.
So, you’re correct that certain scholars agree with his assertions and others disagree with his outcomes and assessments, but absolute agreement—or lack thereof—neither disproves, nor negates, his facts and conclusions. 📍
@patrickmanjeru3974
August 23, 2024 at 2:03 am
🙋🏾🙋🏾🙋🏾🙋🏾
Will the “humans” living say 500 or more years in the future be able to understand our today’s technology, civilization etc ?
Will they find it hard / difficult to nearly impossible to understand our paintings, architecture, culture, ‘civilization’ the same way we today don’t understand ancient times?
Thank you
@radwanabu-issa4350
August 30, 2024 at 3:34 pm
The speaker seems to think that agriculture developed quickly, but in reality, it took thousands of years to improve crops like wheat. Multiple species were cultivated before achieving the desired results, and the same is true for other plants and animal domestication. Another challenge has been controlling human dominance and the desire for power, which often leads to bullying. Egalitarian societies did exist, but they were unfortunately wiped out by those seeking dominance. It took the emergence of religion and human values to counterbalance these opposing forces.
@davidxdavis
September 5, 2024 at 5:11 pm
I respect David’s research but damn. This couldn’t have sounded any more like a hard sale speech for socialism. Cherry picking historical details to push a contemporary political ideology. Regardless of cultural customs and traditions of past societies how can one have to confidence to draw parallels between a world with 50,000 people with basic technology then think all the best parents of those societies can somehow be applied to a planet with 8 billion people, industrialisation, globalisation, the internet…. This speech was pure fanaticism.
@rafaelzafico7958
September 21, 2024 at 8:06 am
Our ancestors may live differently before the known civilization. What if they are like giants as stones and obelisk was easily assembled that our modern technology could not match.
@parlousmaximin
September 21, 2024 at 7:31 pm
brought to you a by klaus schwaub, a new dawn and you will have nothing and like it