In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication. The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms. Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior. The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today[1][3][5].
In this book, David Graeber argues that debt has a much longer history than money and that it has played a central role in shaping human societies. He debunks the myth of barter as the precursor to money, instead proposing that credit systems and debt were the primary means of trade. Graeber examines how debt has been used as a tool for social control, influenced law, religion, and politics, and has led to periodic crises and debtor revolts throughout history. The book also discusses the moral and social implications of debt, suggesting that the concept of debt is more complex than a simple economic transaction[1][2][4].
In this book, Gregory Clark addresses profound questions about global economic disparities. He argues that the Industrial Revolution and subsequent economic growth in eighteenth-century England were driven by cultural changes, such as the adoption of middle-class values like hard work, rationality, and education. Clark challenges prevailing theories by suggesting that these cultural shifts, rather than institutional or geographical factors, explain the wealth and poverty of nations. The book also discusses the Malthusian trap and how Britain's unique demographic and social dynamics allowed it to break out of this cycle and achieve significant economic growth.
Ken Liu's "The Grace of Kings" is a captivating epic fantasy novel inspired by Chinese history. The story follows two ambitious warlords, Kuni Garu and Mata Zyndu, as they rise to power amidst a backdrop of political intrigue and warfare. Liu masterfully weaves together elements of high fantasy, historical fiction, and political commentary, creating a richly detailed and immersive world. The novel explores themes of power, ambition, betrayal, and the complexities of leadership. It's a compelling and well-written work that has earned critical acclaim and a devoted readership. The novel is the first in a planned trilogy.
Rudyard Lynch runs the popular YouTube channel WhatIfAltHist. We're both into applied history — namely, studying the past to forecast the future — and everything we spoke about fell under that rubric. We cover alchemy vs technology, left vs right, nature vs nurture, China vs America, communism vs wokeness, and (of course) networks vs states.Our overarching goal with the pod is to learn about the world to build new startup societies. If these ideas interest you, we're putting theory into practice at Network School, so do apply at https://ns.com.
OUTLINE
00:00 - Intro to WhatifAltHist and counterfactual history
03:52 - The idea in alchemy: everyone is competing on vibes
07:12 - Nature/nurture = hardware/software
09:37 - Why the left often wins: equality builds scalable militaries
11:30 - The idea from Balaji that most influenced Rudyard: God, State, or Network?
13:25 - What is the most powerful force in the world: God, State, or Network
20:28 - Only 4% of Democrats marry Republicans
22:24 - The purpose of alchemy: how early alchemy lead to modern tech
33:25 - We have entered the age of the phrase
42:33 - The reading list: genetics books you should read
43:07 - Communism was based on economics denial, wokeness is genetics denial
50:49 - The Vitruvian Man: our moral responsibility to accelerate technology
57:42 - We are on the verge of global instability
1:20:43 - Internet community becomes physical community: The Network School (ns.com)
1:23:08 - Both Soviet and American empires were built on false premises
1:28:16 - Bitcoin is the strongest new identity
1:32:55 - The total military dominance of the Chinese drone armada
LINKS
https://youtube.com/@ns
https://ns.com