The Roots of Equality

For centuries, thinkers have grappled with the mystery of how humans first formulated the notion of equality. The species is quite territorial and, according to history, has demonstrated a violent streak. How could such a creature have developed the peaceful impulse to ensure everyone gets their fair share?

Some have surmised that equality was a last-gasp measure: the guarantee of peace to avert self-annihilation. However, a closer examination of the phenomenon across the existence of Homo sapiens illuminates a naturalistic solution to the puzzle. Lantz Miller traces the early advancements of our species to argue that, rather than concocting equality to forestall self-annihilation, it was forged through a lived condition of freedom over hundreds of thousands of years. Bringing together insights from both philosophy and anthropology, The Roots of Equality: Anthropological and Normative Sources investigates how our foraging ancestors came to thrive in egalitarian communities without sacrificing autonomy along the way.