The Majority Report with Sam Seder

2728 - A Dramatic New Understanding of Human History w/ David Wengrow

11.30.2021 - By Sam SederPlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Sam and Emma host David Wengrow, Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London, to discuss his recent book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity that he co-authored with David Graeber. They begin by clarifying what the old history was, which Professor Wengrow describes the “broad sweep of human history” that we see starting all the way back in the Enlightenment, with Hobbes and Rousseau theorizing on the “state of nature” which was the origin of all humanity, and how the nature of inequality in civilization developed from there. He discusses how deep these theories, which were simply parables for their own time, have ingrained themselves into historical perspectives, structuring them into a constantly linear mold, and why the discussion of the “origin” of social concepts inherently implies this model. Emma, Sam, and he briefly touch on the massive impact of indigenous philosophies on French Enlightenment thinking, and how European elites worked to undermine this inspiration, making out their views of social and wealth equality to be a “romanticization,” and, in fact, a reflection of being on a lower tier of civilized society. Next, Professor Wengrow is able to dive into the narrative of the book, looking as far back as possible with cohesive archeological and anthropological evidence for social organization, and how we see - rather than a line from basic, equal, and free, to complex, stratified, and structured civilization - examples of societies that are experimental and fluid, changing political, religious, and legal systems as they migrate and the seasons shift their needs. After giving brief overviews of these examples, Sam, Emma, and David wrap up the interview by diving into the question of “how we got stuck” in a cycle of reinforcing and naturalizing the existence of inequality, debt, and other elements of our society. Sam and Emma also cover some updates on the Omicron variant, and the contrast with that and Biden’s consistently noncommittal responses to COVID. And in the Fun Half: Nomiki joins Sam and Emma as they cover her bout with Dan Bongino, Dana Loesch’s fable of Bongo the gorilla’s righteous segregation hyenas, and discuss Omicron. Lara Logan compares Fauci to Mengele in Fox’s conspiracy zone, the crew covers Chris Cuomo’s conflict of interest, and what the fallout will be, if there is any. Enes Kanter reminds Americans to appreciate their freedom… by not exercising it, plus, your IMs! Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE! https://thewilbur.com/artist/majority-report/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here. Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ (Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: [email protected]) You can now watch the livestream on Twitch Check out today’s sponsors: sunsetlakecbd: Sunset Lake CBD & Majority Report are teaming up to turn America’s most consumerist holiday into a fundraising opportunity for a great organization. Here’s how it works: Visit SunsetLakeCBD.com starting November 22nd and all CBD Products will be between 30-60% OFF! Orders over $100 will receive a free jar of delicious CBD gummies - A $40 value, for free! NO PROMO CODE NEEDED PRODUCTS ARE ALREADY DISCOUNTED ON THE WEBSITE. ZipRecruiter: Some things in life we like to pick out for ourselves - so we know we've got the one that's best for us - like cuts of steak or mattresses. What if you could do the same for hiring - choose your ideal candidate before they even apply? That’s where ZipRecruiter’s ‘Invite to Apply’ comes in - it gives YOU, as the hiring manager, the power to pick your favorites from top candidates. According to ZipRecruiter Internal Data, jobs where employers use ZipRecruiter’s ‘Invite to Apply’ get on average two and a half times more candidates — which helps make for a faster hiring process. See for yourself! Just go to this exclusive web address, ZipRecruiter.com/majority, to try ZipRecruiter for free! Stamps.com: If you’re looking for ways to skip the trip to the Post Office and dodge all that hectic holiday shopping traffic, why not save time and money with Stamps.com. Stamps.com lets you compare rates, print labels, and access exclusive discounts on UPS and USPS services all year long. Save time and money this holiday season with Stamps.com. Sign up with promo code MAJORITYREPORT for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale. Just go to Stamps.com, click the microphone at the top of the page, and enter code MAJORITYREPORT. Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/ Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon! Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel! Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!) Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop

More episodes from The Majority Report with Sam Seder