The legend of Peugeot cars

The Justice System: Legal Stories

The foundation of the church is the religious story

Country: National Story

Whether it is a modern nation, a medieval church, an ancient city or an ancient tribe, the basis of any large-scale human cooperation lies in some kind of fiction that exists only in the collective imagination. 2. All of the above things actually only exist in stories invented by humans themselves and told to each other. Except for the common imagination of mankind, this universe has no God, no country, no money, no human rights, no law, and no justice.

On the one hand, there are real objective entities like rivers, trees, and lions. On the other hand, there are imaginary realities like gods, nations, and corporations.

Since the cognitive revolution, Homo sapiens has been able to rapidly adapt its behavior to changing needs. This is tantamount to opening up a fast path to adopt "cultural evolution" instead of staying on the road of "genetic evolution" that is always stuck in traffic jams. Following this path, Homo sapiens' ability to cooperate soared, quickly eclipsing all other human and animal species.

Since the cognitive revolution, there has always been more than one "natural way of life" for Homo sapiens. There are only "cultural choices" that really exist, and the choices are like a palette, with dazzling colors and dazzling colors.

The cognitive revolution is the starting point for history to separate from biology and exist independently. Before this, all human behavior can only be called the category of biology.

Homo sapiens invented many imaginary realities and thus developed many behavioral patterns, which are the main ingredients of what we call "culture". Once culture emerges, it can no longer stop changing and developing. These unstoppable changes become what we call "history."

The criterion for measuring the evolutionary success of a species is the number of copies of its DNA helix in the world. The essence of the agricultural revolution is to increase the number of copies of the Homo sapiens genome in the world

The agricultural revolution began with the domestication of wheat or other grains. At first, I just wanted to eat enough without having to collect food everywhere. But then we began to rely on a single food source, and we had to spend time cultivating crops; once the gears of historical evolution started, they could not be stopped. Once a tribe settled down and started farming, the trend toward agriculture was irresistible. Since agriculture can promote rapid population growth, the gathering tribes have only two choices left. The first is to escape; the second is to pick up a hoe and join the agricultural industry.

The trap of the agricultural revolution: All efforts to make life easier have brought endless troubles to people; this is not the last time in history, and even today, we are still trapped in the trap and unable to extricate ourselves. Making money is for an easier life, but as a result, huge loans, children's tuition fees, and various high consumption have exhausted me to death.

Outlook on life: What do you want in life?

It may well be that the evolutionary success of a species does not necessarily reflect individual happiness. As will be seen again and again in the chapters that follow, whenever humankind's overall capabilities increase dramatically and seem to be a great success, individual suffering always increases as well.

The Agricultural Revolution may be the most controversial event in history. Some believe it set humanity on the path to prosperity and progress, while others believe it led to destruction. For the latter, the Agricultural Revolution was a turning point, allowing Homo sapiens to abandon the symbiotic relationship closely connected with nature and stride towards greed.

After the Agricultural Revolution, the importance of "the future" increased

The Agricultural Revolution began to allow humans to settle, and humans became far more self-centered creatures than in the past.

Examples of fictional stories

true believer

Thousands of years after the Agricultural Revolution, human social networks were still relatively small in scale, mainly limited by the human brain's memory and information storage and processing capabilities.

The Agricultural Revolution produced a large amount of data and information that needed to be recorded, giving rise to the creation of "writing"

Text is a way of storing information using physical symbols

The first text in human history is not only not a philosophical ingenuity, a poetic legend, nor a law, but an extremely boring financial document, recording various taxes, debts, and property ownership

The meaning of the birth of words

Writing is an important foundation for the birth of bureaucracy

It is not enough to record, you also need to be able to catalog and retrieve the data. What's special about Sumer, ancient Egypt, ancient China, and the Inca Empire is that these cultures all developed good technology to archive, catalog, and retrieve written records, and they also invested in cultivating talents to be responsible for copying, copying, and copying. Data management and accounting matters

Money is the most universal and efficient mutual trust system ever created

Because "trust" is so critical, we can understand why the financial system is so closely linked to political, social and ideological systems, why financial crises are often triggered by political developments, and why stock traders alone one morning Feelings can affect the rise and fall of the stock market.

Their value is entirely due to cultural conferment

The imprint on the coin represents certain political powers that ensure the coin's value

"Trust" is the most basic raw material of all forms of money/national endorsement

The focus of religious belief is to believe in oneself, but the focus of money belief is "others believe"

Of all the belief systems created by mankind, only money can cross almost all cultural divides and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race, age and sexual orientation. Thanks to the money system, people can work together even if they don’t know each other or don’t know each other’s character.

Thousands of years of history after the Agricultural Revolution can be summed up in one question: If human genes do not have the biological instinct for large-scale cooperation, how are all cooperative networks maintained? To put it simply, human beings have created an order constructed from imagination and invented writing, using these two to make up for the shortcomings in our genes.

1. Be willing to admit your ignorance

2. Center on observation and mathematics

3. Acquire new abilities

Others: If we want to maintain the stability of social and political order in modern times, we can only rely on two unscientific methods, and there is no other choice.

The scientific revolution is not a revolution of knowledge, but a "revolution of ignorance." The great discovery that really started the scientific revolution was the discovery that "human beings actually know nothing about the most important problems."

Type 2 poverty

Plan to extend human lifespan

In order to achieve political and economic goals, scientific research and progress are promoted. Science, politics, economics, and religion are all inseparable.

Scientific research must join forces with certain religions or ideologies before it can flourish. Ideology can rationalize the cost of research. The price is that ideology can affect the scientific process and determine how research results are achieved. (If you want to study the nuclear bomb, you must also consider the ideological, political, and economic forces of the time, and see how these forces shaped physics, biology, and sociology, pushing them in specific directions.

Since 1850, Europe's dominance of the world has relied largely on cooperation in the military, industrial and scientific fields, as well as technology as magical as magic.

In fact, China and Persia do not lack the technology to make steam engines (you can copy or buy them). What they lack are Western values, stories, judicial systems, and social and political structures. These took centuries to form and mature in the West. Even if Even if you want to copy it, you cannot internalize it overnight. Therefore, France and the United States can quickly follow the footsteps of the United Kingdom because they already share the most important set of stories and social structures.

How did the historical connection between modern science and European empires come about?

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Europeans began to see large gaps in their world maps. The blank spaces on the map are like invitations, asking readers to set sail and find out for themselves; they are also like magnets, allowing Europeans to come one after another, hoping to fill these gaps.

The Fall of the Aztec Empire & the Inca Empire

For 300 years, the Americas, Oceania, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean were completely dominated by Europeans. Europeans accumulated a large amount of wealth and resources, which finally gave Europe the ability to invade Asia, defeat major empires, and divide the spoils among Europeans.

The relationship and connection between modern science and modern empire

The modern economy is another amazing display of human imagination. What allows banks and even the entire economy to survive and even prosper is actually our trust in the future. "Trust" is the only backing for most money in the world.

There is only one focus in modern economic history: "growth." Whether the outcome is good or bad, in sickness or in health, the modern economy grows like a hormonal teenager, devouring everything it sees.

The monetary concept of "credit" represents goods that do not yet exist and exist only in the imagination. It is the concept of "credit" that allows us to advance the future and build the present. There is a basic assumption behind this, that is, future resources will definitely far exceed current resources; as long as we use future income to invest in the present, it will bring many new and wonderful business opportunities.

Why does the concept of credit only flourish in the modern economy?

The profits of private enterprises are the foundation of the overall wealth and prosperity of society.

The basis of all human wealth lies in the selfish desire to increase personal profits. This is arguably the most revolutionary concept in human history. (Greed is good, and when we make ourselves happy, we not only benefit ourselves, but also benefit others. "Self-benefit" means "altruism"

The influence of capitalism: The scope of influence has gradually exceeded the purely economic field. Now it has become a set of ethics, telling us how to behave, how to educate our children, and even how to think about problems.

The basic principle of capitalism: justice, freedom and even happiness must depend on economic growth, so it can be said that economic growth is the highest good (or at least very close to it)

The connection between capitalism and science

A commercial empire is much more efficient at obtaining funds for conquest. After all, no one likes paying taxes, but everyone enjoys investing.

The wonderful cycle of imperial capitalism: credit finances new discoveries, which lead to colonies, which lead to profits, which build trust, which translates into more credit.

1. Insist on punctual and full repayment to reduce the lender's risk.

2. Judicial independence and protection of individual rights, especially private property rights. (Autocratic countries are unwilling to protect individuals and their property, and flows to countries that are willing to abide by the rule of law and protect private property)

Dutch merchants founded the Dutch Empire

The new colony opened by the Dutch West India Company was called "Amsterdam". The colony was under constant threat from Native Americans and eventually fell into British hands after multiple invasions. The British renamed the city "New York" (New York, York is the name of a British county). The West India Company built a wall in the colonies to defend against the British and Native Americans. The location of this wall is now the most famous street in the world - Wall Street.

The joke made by Marx and other social critics was that Western governments were almost like trade unions for capitalists

The close embrace of capital and politics has a profound impact on the credit market. How much credit a market can get depends not only on economic factors (such as the discovery of new oil fields, the invention of new machines), but also on the impact of political events.

Free market capitalism cannot guarantee that profits will be earned equitably or distributed equitably. And on the contrary, because humans have the desire to pursue profits and economic growth, they will decide to blindly eliminate all possible obstacles. When "growth" becomes the supreme goal and is not checked by other moral ethics, it can easily lead to a disaster.

The core of the industrial revolution is actually the revolution of energy conversion.

What the world lacks is not energy, but the knowledge that can be harnessed and transformed to suit our needs.

Modern animal husbandry only focuses on objective needs and does not pay attention to the subjective needs of animals.

The birth of consumerism: solving the problem of who will buy it after it is produced?

The ideals of capital/consumerism are within easy reach of most people. If you want to enter the paradise promised by this new ethics, the condition is that the rich should continue to be greedy and invest their time to make more money. As for the general public, they should satisfy their desires and passions. This is the first time in human history that believers can finally fulfill the conditions required by religion.

The cost of war has risen dramatically. For example, with the invention of the atomic bomb, war between superpowers is tantamount to collective suicide.

The war was less profitable. In the past, wars could plunder traditional wealth, but today the form of wealth has undergone structural changes, such as human capital, scientific and technological knowledge, etc., which cannot be obtained through war.

Peace became an increasingly profitable business. For example, foreign trade revitalizes the economies of various countries.

The leaders are shrewd pacifists.

The four major factors combine to form a virtuous cycle.

"Subjective happiness". Happiness is a personal inner feeling, which may be due to immediate pleasure in the moment or satisfaction with a long-term lifestyle.

Happiness is not just about having more pleasant moments than painful moments. On the contrary, happiness depends on someone's life as a whole; if the whole life is meaningful and valuable, then one can be happy. Happiness also has important cognitive and moral components. If your values ​​are different, your ideas may be completely different.

Money does bring happiness, but there is a certain limit. After the limit is exceeded, the effect is not so obvious.

Family and community are more important than money and health. Those with close and good family relationships and a community that supports and helps each other are significantly happier.

A good marriage is positively correlated with feeling happy

"free"

"expect"

For example, evolution treats pleasure as a reward, encouraging men and women to have sex and pass on their genes. If intercourse does not lead to orgasm, probably many men will not be so enthusiastic about it. But at the same time, evolution ensures that the climax recedes quickly. If the orgasm lasts forever, you can imagine that the man will be very happy, but he will not even have the motivation to find food, and will eventually die of hunger, and he will not be interested in finding another woman who can reproduce.

Happiness is neither a subjective feeling of pleasure nor a subjective feeling that life is meaningful. Instead, it lies in letting go of the pursuit of subjective feelings. Most people attach too much importance to their own feelings, thinking that pleasure is happiness and unpleasant feelings are suffering. As a result, humans crave pleasure and avoid unpleasant feelings.

The pursuit of subjective feelings is all-consuming and ultimately futile, only leaving us in thrall to the pursuit itself. The root of suffering is not feeling sad or in pain, or feeling like everything is meaningless. The real root of suffering lies in the "pursuit" of subjective feelings. No matter what it is, it will make people fall into continuous tension, confusion and dissatisfaction.

If people want to escape suffering and gain happiness, they must understand that all their subjective feelings are just momentary fluctuations, and stop pursuing certain feelings. In this way, although it hurts, it no longer feels miserable; although it is pleasant, it no longer disturbs the peace of mind. As a result, the mind becomes clear and at ease. The peace of mind this produces is so powerful that it is unimaginable to those who spend their entire lives frantically pursuing a happy mood.

Biological Engineering

bionic engineering

Inorganic Life Engineering

Our late-modern world, for the first time in history, believes that all humans deserve basic equality, yet we may be on the verge of creating one of the most unequal societies ever.

The real potential of future technology does not lie in changing vehicles or weapons, but in Homo sapiens itself, including our emotions and our desires. What is really earth-shattering may be the biochemical people who can stay young forever. They neither reproduce nor have sexual desire. They can directly share memories with other living creatures. Their concentration and memory are more than a thousand times that of modern humans. They will not be angry or angry. Sad, and their emotions and desires are beyond our imagination. Science fiction novels rarely describe the future like this, because basically this kind of scenario is beyond our imagination, and even if it is described, it is difficult to understand.

Singularity - Big Bang

Matter and energy appear. The beginning of physics

Atoms and molecules appear. The beginning of chemistry

earth formation

Organisms form. The beginning of biology

The last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees

The genus Homo began to evolve in Africa. The earliest stone tools appeared

Humans spread from Africa to Eurasia. evolved into different races

Neanderthals evolved in Europe and the Middle East

Start using fire daily

Homo sapiens evolved in East Africa

Cognitive revolution. The emergence of a language capable of describing virtual stories

The beginning of history. Homo sapiens spread beyond Africa

Homo sapiens arrived in Australia. Australian megafauna become extinct

Neanderthals became extinct

Homo sapiens arrived in America. American megafauna become extinct

Homo floresiensis became extinct. Homo sapiens becomes the only surviving human species

agricultural revolution. Domestication of plants and animals.

Permanent settlement appears

The earliest kingdoms, writing and money appeared. polytheistic beliefs

The earliest empire to appear: Sargon the Great’s Akkadian Empire

The earliest coin: universal money

The Persian Empire: a universal political order ("working for the welfare of all mankind")

Indian Buddhism: Universal Truth ("Free all mankind from suffering")

Han Empire of China

mediterranean roman empire

Christianity

Islam

Scientific revolution. Human beings admitted their ignorance and began to acquire unprecedented abilities.

Europeans began to conquer the Americas and the oceans. The entire earth forms a single historical field. The rise of capitalism

Industrial Revolution. Family and community were replaced by the state and the market. Mass extinction of plants and animals

Humanity has left the territory of the earth

Nuclear weapons threaten the survival of mankind

Biology is increasingly shaped by intelligent design rather than natural selection

Intelligent design becomes a basic principle of life?

Homo sapiens replaced by superhumans?