Session 4: The Deep Past and the Political Present
Recommended reading: The Dawn of Everything, Chapters 10-12.
If our distant ancestors really did invent a wide variety of different political formations, why is it so difficult to imagine political alternatives in the present? In this final session, we will examine some of the key insights and limitations of the book for our understanding of the past. We will also ask how this might inspire us to rethink the political challenges we face today.
About the Dawn of Everything Book Club Series
How did our distant ancestors live? And what can this tell us about our contemporary world? Drawing on wide-ranging research in archaeology and anthropology, The Dawn of Everything is an ambitious attempt to overturn the conventional narrative about human history, including the origins of farming, property, cities, and democracy, and replace it with a more accurate, interesting, and unpredictable story.
This event series will feature experts from across the UW-Madison campus providing their assessment of the book and how it might change the way we think about and teach the deep past as well as what it tells us about the present. Be sure to register today for this exciting event.
