Q&@
SOCIAL MAMMALS
SUCH AS ELEPHANTS AND CHIMPANSEES
COOPERATE FAR MORE FLEXIBLY THAN BEES,
BUT THEY DO SO ONLY WITH SMALL NUMBERS
OF FRIENDS AND FAMILIYMEMBERS: THEIR COOPERATION
IS BASED ON PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCE! IF I AM A CHIMPANZEE
AND YOU ARE A CHIMPANZEE AND I WANT TO COOPERATE WITH YOU,
I MUST KNOW YOU PERSONALLY: WHAT KIND OF CHIMP ARE YOU? Are yóu a nice chimp?
Are you an evil chimp? How can I cooperate with you if I don't know you? To the best of our knowledge,
only Sapiens can cooperate in very flexible ways with countless numbers of total strangers (al of niet in
combinatie met diverse kostelijke sapjens, lekkere voedzame en Allerhande Extravagante)!? This concrete
capability - rather than an eternal soul OR Some unique kind of consciousness - explains our mastery of planet
Earth?! Alors, Long Live The Revolution! History provides ample evidence for the crucial importance of large-
scale cooperation. Victory almost invariably went to those who cooperated better - not only in struggles
between Homo sapiens & all kinds of other animals, but also in the permanent conflicts between
different human groups! Thùs Rome conquered Greece not because the Romans had larger brains or
better toolmaking techniques, but because they were able to cooperate more effectively. That's the
reason why we learned to talk about & act like gods: rijksgeslachtsdelen overzee, heidense stam-
leden, koningen, keizers, admi- & generaals, talloze verhalen over al
onze ervaringen & daden, boomstammen, nomaden, boeren,
burgers & buitenlui! Kapitalisten, Kommunisten,
Agnosten & Atheïsten, onderkruipers,
opvliegers, messiassen, bedriegers,
hackers & al
dat 'lekkers'
...