The Pathos of Politics – Descent of Polity

This is the 7th book of Spokes of the Wheel. This book is a continuation of Spokes 6: The Fruits of Civilization, which should be read before this volume.

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The Descent of Polity

“The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.” ~ American author Mark Twain

Like the primates they descended from, hominoids were gregarious creatures, with both genders having their own dominance hierarchies.

Once a chimpanzee has achieved dominance, male or female, it exercises authority: the ability to settle conflicts and set rules. Chimps acknowledge authority through submissive greetings: meek grunts followed by deep bows, holding one’s hand out to a superior, kissing feet.

How human authority is attained determined the de-scent of polity. The path to authority is indeed the reason that politics even exists – man’s readiness to resort to violence.