Past Present Future Where Are We Going? Societal Collapse – Origins
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Feb 25, 2026 
Luke Kemp, author and researcher of societal collapse, explores how humans organised before governments and why hierarchies arose. He traces the shift from egalitarian bands to settled states, the role of agriculture and warfare, and how inequality and environmental shocks have toppled societies. Short, thought-provoking conversations about authority, exit options, and what makes systems fragile.
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Paleolithic Egalitarianism And Fluid Democracy
- Paleolithic human societies were largely egalitarian and democratic, organized in small mobile bands of 40–200 with extensive intergroup exchange across thousands of kilometres.
- Decisions were often made by assembly consensus, exit options were plentiful, and social ties relied heavily on friendship networks rather than strict kinship.
Holocene Settling Fueled State Formation
- The shift to sedentism, intensified agriculture, then warfare and state formation followed repeatedly across regions once the Holocene began.
- The average lag from agricultural intensification to state emergence was about 3,000 years, showing a common trajectory.
Lootable Crops Drive Hierarchies
- Not all agricultural surpluses produce states; what matters is the type of surplus — lootable, storable crops create incentives for hierarchy.
- Example: Egypt's wheat (storable/visible) enabled rulers, while New Guinea's taro and yams did not.
