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Can Evolution Explain Our Politics? Nicholas Wade Thinks So

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Oct 13, 2025

Guest

Nicholas Wade

Nicholas Wade, a former science writer and author of influential books on evolution, discusses provocative topics like race and genetics. He explores the genetic clustering of racial groups and their limited biological relevance for policy. Wade delves into the fertility crisis, linking economic factors to declining birth rates. He argues that political systems must align with human nature and examines how modern dynamics replace tribalism with polarization. Ultimately, he tackles the implications of evolutionary insights on family structures and national politics.

59:54

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insights

INSIGHT

Census Categories Are Political Constructs

Census racial categories are politically constructed and often mismatch scientific clustering.
Wade argues categories like Hispanic are linguistic, not biological, yet census data remain useful for policy when used responsibly.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Kibbutz Experiment Failed To Replace Family

Wade describes the Israeli kibbutz experiment that abolished the family and communal childrearing.
He notes the model failed as later generations demanded family reunification and childcare at home.

insights

INSIGHT

Incentives Must Align With Human Drives

Incentives mismatched to human nature undermine collectivist systems.
Wade argues people work best when rewards align with family or personal benefit rather than abstract equal pay.

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Nicholas Wade’s background and how he got into evolutionary genetics

01:35 • 1min

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What was the Human Genome Project and why it mattered

02:49 • 1min

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How genetics clarifies human racial clustering

04:16 • 4min

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Are racial categories biologically meaningful for policy and medicine?

08:39 • 5min

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Response to criticism of A Troublesome Inheritance

13:20 • 4min

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What The Origin of Politics aims to explain

17:45 • 2min

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Does human nature constrain viable political systems?

20:15 • 5min

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Why markets and private incentives outperform collectivized systems

24:56 • 1min

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How societies curb nepotism and reshape tribal instincts

26:23 • 3min

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Have tribes been replaced by political polarization?

29:44 • 2min

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Has breaking family ties gone too far in modern societies?

Does evolutionary perspective make one more conservative or liberal?

36:51 • 2min

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How genetics contributes to political temperament

38:52 • 1min

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Will high-fertility religious groups reshape national politics?

39:52 • 5min

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Why global birth rates are collapsing and what might reverse them

44:53 • 6min

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Should evolutionary insights change foreign policy stance?

50:44 • 4min

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Are autocracies or democracies more compatible with certain cultures?

54:59 • 4min

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Does solving tribalism precede successful democracy?

58:49 • 2min

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Closing remarks and where to find Wade’s work

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A troublesome inheritance

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The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

Published in 1776, 'The Wealth of Nations' is Adam Smith's magnum opus that laid the groundwork for modern economics. The book critiques mercantilist economic theories and introduces the concept of the 'invisible hand,' which describes how individual self-interest leads to societal benefit. It emphasizes the division of labor, the accumulation of capital, and the importance of free markets. Smith argues that a nation's wealth is not measured by its gold and silver reserves but by the stream of goods and services it produces. The book also outlines the core functions of government, such as maintaining defense, enforcing civil law, and promoting education, while advocating for limited government intervention in market activities.

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Middlemarch

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Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, is a novel that delves into the complexities of provincial life in 19th-century England. The story revolves around the intersecting lives of its characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate marriage, vocation, and social class. Eliot critiques the conventional romance narratives of her time by portraying marriage as a complex and often problematic institution. The novel also explores themes of idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women's lives. Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch between 1829 and 1832, the novel incorporates historical events such as the Great Reform Act of 1832 and early developments in medicine. Eliot's realistic portrayal of ordinary human life, with its quiet tragedies and small triumphs, has made 'Middlemarch' a masterpiece of English literature.

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The Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway

The novella tells the story of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Determined to break his unlucky streak, Santiago ventures far into the Gulf Stream, where he hooks a giant marlin. Over the course of three days, he battles the marlin, showing respect and admiration for the fish. Despite eventually killing the marlin, Santiago's catch is devoured by sharks on his journey back to shore. The story highlights Santiago's endurance, his deep connection with nature, and the themes of struggle, dignity, and the indomitable human spirit.

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Down and Out in Paris and London

George Orwell

Published in 1933, 'Down and Out in Paris and London' is George Orwell's first full-length book, a semi-autobiographical account of his time living in poverty. The book is divided into two parts: the first describes his life in near-destitution in Paris, including his work as a dishwasher in a hotel and his struggles with hunger and homelessness. The second part recounts his experiences in London, where he lived as a tramp and explored the harsh realities of poverty and the conditions in workhouses and lodging houses. Orwell's narrative sheds light on societal inequalities and the struggles of those on the fringes of society, challenging the romantic notions of poverty and highlighting the structural issues that lead to homelessness.

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The Origin of Politics

How Evolution and Ideology Shaped the Fate of Nations

Nicholas Wade

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Nicholas Wade is a former science writer for The New York Times and author of several books on human evolution, including A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race, and Human History and his new book, The Origin of Politics: How Evolution and Ideology Shape the Fate of Nations.

Today, I invite Wade on to discuss some of the toughest topics in modern science: the controversial territory of race and genetics, and whether there are fundamental genetic differences between right-wingers and left-wingers. We also dig into the fertility crisis. Birth rates across the developed world have collapsed below replacement level, and no country except religious Georgia has figured out how to reverse the trend. Wade explains why modern economic progress makes having children less appealing, and why the breakdown of the family matters.

Finally, we talk about how the modern nation-state stamped out tribalism, why the academic establishment refuses to engage honestly with genetics research, what evolutionary psychology tells us about foreign policy, and much more.

Whether you find Wade’s evolutionary framework persuasive or not, I hope our conversation raises questions that most political leaders and academics prefer to ignore.

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