A Brief History of the Human Condition

Abstract

AbstractIs Homo sapiens truly the wisest of primates? Maybe, but when modern humans emerged as a species 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals had been around for a half-million years, and they had larger brains. Yet it was Neanderthals who went extinct. Why? Were humans smarter? The pivotal difference may have been more specific. People often conceive a species in terms of what is seen as its characteristic survival mechanism. When people think about birds, they think flight. When people think about chameleons, they think camouflage. When people think about cheetahs, they think speed. What about Homo sapiens? Humans are a kind of social animal that is also a political animal, which is to say that learning to negotiate, trade, and be of service is part of what made us human.