In historical contexts, hunter-gatherer societies thrived in rich ecological zones, allowing them to live with relative ease and minimal effort. These societies effectively timed their hunting activities with the natural migrations of game, such as the salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest, which provided ample nutrition within short periods. For instance, in just two weeks, they could secure enough salmon to meet their protein needs for an entire year. Contemporary hunter-gatherers also utilize about half of their time on subsystems rather than constant foraging, indicating they work efficiently rather than facing daily survival challenges.
In one of his final extended interviews, which was recorded three years before his recent death, the late anthropologist James C. Scott and Yascha Mounk discuss the need to be vigilant about the ways in which states do violence to individuals and societies.
James C. Scott was the Sterling professor of political science and anthropology at Yale University. Scott is the author of major works including Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed and Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and James Scott discuss whether we ought to give "two cheers" for anarchism, why the state is here to stay, and the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.
This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
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