The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

What is the “Indigenous critique” and how did it influence European philosophers and writers? What are its foundations?

What is the advantage of preserving the fluidity of social organization or technologies for survival? That is, why would early human societies live under a hierarchical form of government for part of the year, then live in a more egalitarian or democratic manner for another time of the year? Why would early humans farm only partially or contingently, while still maintaining traditions of foraging and hunting?

The authors speak of the lack of a neutral vocabulary to describe the wide variety of human social organization across history. How are words such as “city,” “state,” or “civilization” problematic? What do they assume or imply? How do terms such as “equality” or “inequality” complicate discussions of human societies?