In Moral Origins, social anthropologist Christopher Boehm charts the history of how we evolved our sense of doing what’s right
EGALITARIAN communities have some interesting ways to restore social order. The Netsilik Inuit of northern Canada, for example, hold song duels. Armed with only a drum and insulting lyrics, opponents fight it out in a ceremonial igloo in front of their entire group. Conflict is resolved amid much jeering, laughing and public shaming.
The !Kung bushmen of the Kalahari desert in southern Africa, use gossip instead. The number one topic of censure is “big-shot” behaviour, or bullying. Gossip is usually…
