About the Author

Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeili historian and philosopher.

Bibliography

Sapiens (2011)

This book’s subtitle is A Brief History of Mankind, and though it does this in a technical sense, the important part of Harari’s analysis is the “objective” (and perhaps materialistic) perspective he gives to humankind: his criteria for analysis does not differ, between, say, Bonobos and Homo Sapiens. This gives a new dimension to the study of the human species, because it enables him to tear down common misconceptions:

  • Why was the agricultural revolution, from a primitive Homo Sapiens’ perspective, beneficial?

By studying these questions taking the human species as a subject of study, the flaws and drawbacks in our development, as well as our methods and resources used to thrive, become evident.

The first quarter of the book can be found in several other places (namely history textbooks). The rise of civilization and organized society is where it becomes interesting. Through simple explanations, Harari explains clearly what is a social construct: a common belief a society has in something immaterial/fictional (my paraphrasing of the idea he conveys), and how, when thought about deeply, it may sound nonsensical. For instance:

  • the creation of limited liability companies explained using the Ford Company as an example

Peugeot is a figment of our collective imagination. Lawyers cal this a ‘legal fiction’. It can’t be pointed at; it is not a physical object. But it exists as a legal entity. Just like you and me, it is bound by the laws of the countries in which it operates (…) It pays taxes, and it can be sued and even prosecuted separately from any of the people who own or work for it.

– Yuval Noah Harari on Sapiens (2011)

  • the ideology of religion

The next section of the book dissects the modern era. His main thesis in this part is that economic interests are the main propeller of human development (whether we are conscious of that or not is irrelevant). He uses some examples to illustrate his point:

  • European colonization and of the 14th and 15th century and American slavery were but economic businesses;

Going through the 19th and 20th century, Harari gives a (much needed) positive opinion on the current geopolitical climate, citing that there hasn’t been a more peaceful era in human history. However, he also pops the technology bubble we are currently living (and have been living in for a decade now), posing the idea that, just like any other human activity, there are political and economic factors pulling the strings behind technological development (an obvious observation that has become foggy).

The final part is reasonable speculation: he argues exactly the opposite of what Christian dogma dictates: instead of being created by a supernatural being and evolving to its will, we have evolved because of and for accidental reasons, and such evolution has brought us very close to an omnipotent being. His examples are clear: we can manipulate animals to breed to our liking; we can use genes and DNA to create organisms that didn’t exist before, etc.

Although the implications of these assumptions don’t have a strong scientific support, he does bring forward an interesting theory: if technological development keeps growing at the incredible pace it has for decades now, we may be entering a new chapter not in history (because that would need us to be humans in the first place), but in our condition as humans. Genetic modifications may bring forth a new kind of Homo Sapiens, which is physically and mentally different from humans from Ancient Greece, the Ottoman Empire, and the Federal Republic of Germany. Again, this is reasonable speculation, which can be found in many other places (refer to Blade Runner 2049), but this idea (which he introduces and concludes in the last part of the book, fortunately) it neither his most important nor his best explained. I guess we can let science fiction writers speculate on that.

I think there are two big takeaways from this book:

  • Given a proper historical context, the importance of belief in myths in the development of humanity is very clear: two lawyers can come together to defend someone because they believe in the construct of law and justice; two Brazilians can give their life for each other, even if they haven’t met before, because they both believe in the construct of the Brazilian nation; two Christians can unite to build a Church because they both believe in a Christian God.

  • The struggle between humanism and science has been and is centerpiece for human development.

Really enjoyed this book! I think it illustrates what historians mean when they refer to something as a “social construction”: not in the sense that it was created by us and thus nonsensical, but that though it was created by us (and therefore subjct to change and revision), it serves as a useful tool for our everyday lives.