All this is mostly stolen from 'the better angels of our nature' by stephen pinker.

Some of the genesis of this lies in a peeve the author had with another of myriad illogical social customs; the curious case of restrictions placed on knives at dinner tables.

This is particularly silly, surely knives are the right tool for certain jobs, yes? But even when they are allowed at dinner tables, they are mysteriously blunt. Brilliant

Anyways, while doing some random meandering he comes across a little known book called 'the civilizing process', in which a prof that nearly died in obscurity made some fairly interesting observations.

Ignoring that for a while, the author asks you to consider everyone, like dawkins does in 'the selfish gene', as replication devices. Strictly concerned with their own lot, mostly. Generally viewing everyone else as a resource, just like say a rock you might use as a tool. Salient difference being; these rocks can strike you back.

So, as we now have walking rocks up and about, one has to be careful. Needless to say trust becomes an issue. We tend to do everything we can - trick, lie, steal, be good, be bad, to become successful replication devices, always with a weary eye cast at the other rocks. So of course, brute strength comes into the picture. The biggest, baddest machines tended to be the more successful replicating rocks.

With time, some cooperation, cajoling and small time intrigue is involved of course, small communities to fairly bigger ones are formed, usually with some 'warlord' at the head. Chief, king, or whatever.

Then something peculiar occurred, the invention of the gun.

The game was changed. From here on out, you could visit as many jazz men as you wished, sparred with conan and wrestled alligators, it mattered not. I'd just bring out my gun and shoot you, end of story. (Your ancestors can confirm this, btw, ask them)

However to produce guns one needed even more resources, the smaller towns and what not were unable to compete. Bigger towns, etc, were needed to protect one from these very, very dangerous competing rocks, with the head of course controlling resources.

And so dynamics changed, it wasn't the biggest, baddest dudes that survived anymore, it became the best arse-lickers. The better the sycophant, the better his chances. You compete at ingratiating as best you can with the chief, and you were covered. The need for 'strong' warriors was eradicated, and 'court'-esies were born. (Along with 'court'-ships, 'court'-iers, etc)

So the focus of the upper echelons now became to domesticate, or civilize, themselves. Of course this spreads down to the middle classes, and eventually the poorer (though the poorer of course are more prone to jungle justice, laws of the streets, omerta codes etc, as the guns and civility, the police etc, are focused on the source of their livelihood - upper society).

So, in its bid to civilize itself, europe at one time was churning various popular books on civility. Content included good manners and habits, recommendations such as; stop pissing every gaddem place, stop spitting everywhere ffs (even at the table), get rid of that snut you gross pig, and a few addressed more deadly problems, like the problem of knives at the dinner table of some disgruntled party and how it led to some dicey situations.

In the authors words; Aha!

Where does this leave us in africa? Obviously, we've not civilized ourselves. We're still wild wolves. When cultures that were artificially civilized by conquerors are suddenly left to fend for themselves, they tend to regress back to a state of warlords, etc.

How does this relate to religion? A basis for morality is (not so) hidden there, a fully selfish one to please those who insist humans cannot be good just because. And do note, of course, that while these 'courtesies' might have had selfish foundations, after a few generations they become ingrained in a society. In a sense, they domesticate, or civilize themselves, and become less prone to a few habits. Usually they become less violent, more organized. Same way domesticated dogs are likely to behave differently to wolves.

In before talk of race, it has nought to do with that. These effects are visible within a race, for instance, compare irish and german immigrants to the usa.


Kudos