Scott H Young Podcast (Ep 1) - Book Club: Sapiens, a brief history of humankind
Sep 8, 2017
James Clear, an author renowned for his insights on habits and decision-making, joins to dive into the themes of Yuval Noah Harari's 'Sapiens.' They discuss the cognitive revolution's role in human evolution and the contentious view of the Agricultural Revolution as a regression rather than progress. Clear reflects on how shared myths shape societal structures and the evolution of happiness over time. They also critique modern consumerism, exploring how past societies may have found greater fulfillment compared to today's life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Cognitive Revolution Enabled Mass Cooperation
- Harari argues Homo sapiens won not solely by raw intelligence but by forming large-scale shared myths that enabled cooperation with strangers.
- This cognitive revolution (~50–100k years ago) let Sapiens coordinate trade, culture, and collective projects beyond kin groups.
Agriculture Was A Double-Edged Breakthrough
- The agricultural revolution increased food per area but likely reduced individual wellbeing for many people.
- Farming expanded populations and locked societies into a worse but unstoppable path, creating hierarchy and harder labor.
Imagined Orders Power Large Societies
- Harari defines religion as shared norms founded on belief in a superhuman order used to coordinate strangers.
- Money is another imagined system: value depends on collective belief rather than intrinsic properties.