"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Illustrated Edition) (Open History Series)" Reading Notes#
Author: Yuval Noah Harari
Reading Duration: 9 hours
These are the notes and excerpts I recorded while reading "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Illustrated Edition) (Open History Series)" on WeChat Reading.
Chapter 5 The Biggest Scam in History#
At first, they might spend about four weeks harvesting wheat. After a generation, the quantity and area of wheat increased significantly, so they had to stay for five weeks, then six weeks, seven weeks, and finally, permanent villages were established. Evidence of this settlement can be found throughout the Middle East, particularly common in the Levant region. From 12,500 BC to 9,500 BC, the Levant had a flourishing Natufian culture, where Natufians, who were hunter-gatherers, lived off dozens of wild species but settled permanently in villages, spending most of their time diligently gathering and grinding various wild grains. They built stone houses and granaries to store food for emergencies and invented new tools, such as stone sickles for harvesting wild wheat and stone pestles and mortars for grinding.
Thus, various efforts to make life easier brought endless troubles instead; and this was not the last time in history. Even today, it is still the case. How many young college graduates dive into big corporations, engaging in various laborious jobs, swearing to work hard to make money so they can retire by 35 and pursue their true interests? But when they reach 35, they find themselves burdened with huge loans, paying for their children's tuition, maintaining a mansion in an upscale neighborhood, needing two cars per household, and feeling that life cannot be without fine wine and vacations abroad. What should they do? Will they drop everything and go back to the wild to gather fruits and dig roots? Of course not; instead, they work even harder, exhausting themselves.
At first, they might spend about four weeks harvesting wheat. After a generation, the quantity and area of wheat increased significantly, so they had to stay for five weeks, then six weeks, seven weeks, and finally, permanent villages were established. Evidence of this settlement can be found throughout the Middle East, particularly common in the Levant region. From 12,500 BC to 9,500 BC, the Levant had a flourishing Natufian culture, where Natufians, who were hunter-gatherers, lived off dozens of wild species but settled permanently in villages, spending most of their time diligently gathering and grinding various wild grains. They built stone houses and granaries to store food for emergencies and invented new tools, such as stone sickles for harvesting wild wheat and stone pestles and mortars for grinding.
Thus, various efforts to make life easier brought endless troubles instead; and this was not the last time in history. Even today, it is still the case. How many young college graduates dive into big corporations, engaging in various laborious jobs, swearing to work hard to make money so they can retire by 35 and pursue their true interests? But when they reach 35, they find themselves burdened with huge loans, paying for their children's tuition, maintaining a mansion in an upscale neighborhood, needing two cars per household, and feeling that life cannot be without fine wine and vacations abroad. What should they do? Will they drop everything and go back to the wild to gather fruits and dig roots? Of course not; instead, they work even harder, exhausting themselves.
Chapter 6 Building the Pyramids#
Voltaire once said: "God is a concept that I cannot accept. I do not believe in God, but do not tell my servant, lest he kill me in my sleep."
"A bayonet can indeed do many things, but relying on it for peace of mind is not easy."
Romanticism tells us that to maximize our potential, we must accumulate diverse experiences. We must experience different emotions, try different relationships, taste different cuisines, and learn to appreciate different styles of music. One of the best ways to do this is to escape daily life and work, distancing ourselves from familiar environments, and traveling to distant lands to "experience" different cultures, scents, foods, and norms. We constantly hear the romantic myth that "that experience opened my eyes, and my whole life changed from then on."
Voltaire once said: "God is a concept that I cannot accept. I do not believe in God, but do not tell my servant, lest he kill me in my sleep."
"A bayonet can indeed do many things, but relying on it for peace of mind is not easy."
Romanticism tells us that to maximize our potential, we must accumulate diverse experiences. We must experience different emotions, try different relationships, taste different cuisines, and learn to appreciate different styles of music. One of the best ways to do this is to escape daily life and work, distancing ourselves from familiar environments, and traveling to distant lands to "experience" different cultures, scents, foods, and norms. We constantly hear the romantic myth that "that experience opened my eyes, and my whole life changed from then on."
Chapter 7 Memory Overload#
The writing of Andean culture is very different from Sumerian writing, to the extent that many people do not even consider it a form of writing. These writings are not inscribed on clay tablets or paper but are represented by knots tied on strings of various colors, known as "quipu." Each quipu text consists of many strings of different colors, made from either wool or cotton. Several knots are tied at various positions on each string. A single quipu text can have hundreds of strings and thousands of knots. Through these different colors, strings, and knotting techniques, Andean culture can record vast amounts of numerical data, such as tax or property ownership data.
The writing of Andean culture is very different from Sumerian writing, to the extent that many people do not even consider it a form of writing. These writings are not inscribed on clay tablets or paper but are represented by knots tied on strings of various colors, known as "quipu." Each quipu text consists of many strings of different colors, made from either wool or cotton. Several knots are tied at various positions on each string. A single quipu text can have hundreds of strings and thousands of knots. Through these different colors, strings, and knotting techniques, Andean culture can record vast amounts of numerical data, such as tax or property ownership data.
Chapter 8 History Has No Justice#
Such a vicious cycle can last for hundreds or even thousands of years, making the class system, originally formed by historical accidents, deeply entrenched. Over time, unjust discrimination often only exacerbates rather than improves. The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer. Education leads to further education, while ignorance only breeds more ignorance. Historical victims are likely to be victimized again. And historical privilege holders are likely to retain their privileges.
Such a vicious cycle can last for hundreds or even thousands of years, making the class system, originally formed by historical accidents, deeply entrenched. Over time, unjust discrimination often only exacerbates rather than improves. The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer. Education leads to further education, while ignorance only breeds more ignorance. Historical victims are likely to be victimized again. And historical privilege holders are likely to retain their privileges.
Chapter 9 The Direction of History#
However, unity must eventually lead to division, and division must eventually lead to unity; this is the unchanging trend.
However, unity must eventually lead to division, and division must eventually lead to unity; this is the unchanging trend.
Chapter 10 The Taste of Money#
Therefore, it can be said that money is a system of mutual trust, and it is not just any random system: money is indeed the most universal and effective system of mutual trust in history.
Therefore, it can be said that money is a system of mutual trust, and it is not just any random system: money is indeed the most universal and effective system of mutual trust in history.
Chapter 11 The Vision of Empires#
No one really knows how to solve the thorny issue of cultural legacies. Regardless of the approach taken, the first step is to recognize the complexity of this dilemma, understanding that history cannot simply be divided into good people and bad people. Of course, unless we are willing to admit that we often follow the path of the bad.
No one really knows how to solve the thorny issue of cultural legacies. Regardless of the approach taken, the first step is to recognize the complexity of this dilemma, understanding that history cannot simply be divided into good people and bad people. Of course, unless we are willing to admit that we often follow the path of the bad.
Chapter 15 The Marriage of Science and Empire#
The indigenous people of Tasmania faced even more tragic fates. They had lived independently for thousands of years, but within a century after Cook's arrival, they were nearly exterminated, with no one spared, young or old. European colonizers initially only targeted the most fertile and wealthy areas of the island, then even the wilderness was not spared, systematically killing all indigenous people. The few remaining were herded into a Protestant concentration camp, where well-meaning (but not particularly open-minded) missionaries gently guided them, hoping to instill a modern way of life. They wanted Tasmanians to learn to read, write, and believe in Christianity, as well as practice various "useful skills," such as sewing and farming. But they refused to learn, becoming increasingly depressed, unwilling to reproduce, completely losing hope in life, and ultimately taking the only escape route from this scientific, progressive modern society: death.
The indigenous people of Tasmania faced even more tragic fates. They had lived independently for thousands of years, but within a century after Cook's arrival, they were nearly exterminated, with no one spared, young or old. European colonizers initially only targeted the most fertile and wealthy areas of the island, then even the wilderness was not spared, systematically killing all indigenous people. The few remaining were herded into a Protestant concentration camp, where well-meaning (but not particularly open-minded) missionaries gently guided them, hoping to instill a modern way of life. They wanted Tasmanians to learn to read, write, and believe in Christianity, as well as practice various "useful skills," such as sewing and farming. But they refused to learn, becoming increasingly depressed, unwilling to reproduce, completely losing hope in life, and ultimately taking the only escape route from this scientific, progressive modern society: death.
Chapter 16 The Dogma of Capitalism#
This sounds like a huge Ponzi scheme, doesn't it? But if you think this is just a scam, then you could say the entire modern economy is just a scam. This is not a fraud but another astonishing manifestation of human imagination. What truly allows banks (and the entire economy) to survive and even thrive is our trust in the future. "Trust" is the only backing for the vast majority of money in the world.
In this new system, humanity has developed the concept of "credit," which represents goods that do not yet exist and exist only in imagination. It is the concept of "credit" that allows us to advance the future and shape the present. The underlying assumption is that future resources will 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.
Business seems like a zero-sum game. After opening a bakery, it is indeed possible to make a profit, but it must be at the expense of the neighboring bakery's interests. If Venice thrives, it must be at the expense of Genoa's resources. If the British king is rolling in wealth, it must be at the expense of the French king's purse. The whole world is like a big pie, cut in various ways, but ultimately there is only one pie, and it cannot get bigger.
This is actually a lose-lose situation. Because credit is limited, it becomes increasingly difficult to raise funds for entrepreneurship. Because entrepreneurship stagnates, the economy will not grow. Because the economy does not grow, everyone believes the economy cannot grow, and even those who do have funds are unwilling to provide credit loans to others. Thus, the expectation of economic stagnation indeed leads to the result of economic stagnation.
Adam Smith proposed the following innovative argument: if landlords, weavers, or shoemakers earn profits above the basic needs for supporting a family, they will hire more assistants to further increase their profits. The higher the profits, the more assistants can be hired. Thus, it can be seen that the profits of private enterprises are the foundation of overall social wealth and prosperity.
However, Adam Smith explicitly stated that the foundation of all human wealth lies in the selfish psychology of wanting to increase personal profits. This can be considered one of the most revolutionary concepts in human history, and it encompasses not only economic perspectives but also moral and political ones. He essentially tells us: greed is good, and when we make ourselves better off, we also benefit others. "Self-interest" is "altruism."
Profits should be taken out and reinvested in production. This way, more profits can be generated and reinvested in production, leading to even more profits, creating a continuous cycle. Investments can take many forms: expanding factories, engaging in scientific research, developing new products. But regardless, the focus must be on increasing output, converting it into more profits. In the new dogma of capitalism, the most sacred principle is: "The profits from production must be reinvested to increase output."
In recent years, we have seen banks and governments frantically printing money. Everyone is worried that an economic crisis will lead to stagnation and no growth, so they have conjured trillions of dollars, euros, and yen out of thin air, creating a large amount of cheap credit in the financial system, hoping that scientists, technicians, and engineers can come up with groundbreaking inventions or discoveries to save the day before the economic bubble bursts. All hope rests on those in the laboratories. Discoveries in biotechnology and nanotechnology could create entirely new industries, bringing enormous profits that could offset the trillions of virtual numbers created by banks and governments since 2008. If the pace of the laboratories cannot keep up with the speed of the bubble bursting, the economic outlook will be very worrying.
Credit funds new discoveries, new discoveries bring colonies, colonies bring profits, profits establish trust, and trust transforms into more credit.
This sounds like a huge Ponzi scheme, doesn't it? But if you think this is just a scam, then you could say the entire modern economy is just a scam. This is not a fraud but another astonishing manifestation of human imagination. What truly allows banks (and the entire economy) to survive and even thrive is our trust in the future. "Trust" is the only backing for the vast majority of money in the world.
In this new system, humanity has developed the concept of "credit," which represents goods that do not yet exist and exist only in imagination. It is the concept of "credit" that allows us to advance the future and shape the present. The underlying assumption is that future resources will 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.
Business seems like a zero-sum game. After opening a bakery, it is indeed possible to make a profit, but it must be at the expense of the neighboring bakery's interests. If Venice thrives, it must be at the expense of Genoa's resources. If the British king is rolling in wealth, it must be at the expense of the French king's purse. The whole world is like a big pie, cut in various ways, but ultimately there is only one pie, and it cannot get bigger.
This is actually a lose-lose situation. Because credit is limited, it becomes increasingly difficult to raise funds for entrepreneurship. Because entrepreneurship stagnates, the economy will not grow. Because the economy does not grow, everyone believes the economy cannot grow, and even those who do have funds are unwilling to provide credit loans to others. Thus, the expectation of economic stagnation indeed leads to the result of economic stagnation.
Adam Smith proposed the following innovative argument: if landlords, weavers, or shoemakers earn profits above the basic needs for supporting a family, they will hire more assistants to further increase their profits. The higher the profits, the more assistants can be hired. Thus, it can be seen that the profits of private enterprises are the foundation of overall social wealth and prosperity.
However, Adam Smith explicitly stated that the foundation of all human wealth lies in the selfish psychology of wanting to increase personal profits. This can be considered one of the most revolutionary concepts in human history, and it encompasses not only economic perspectives but also moral and political ones. He essentially tells us: greed is good, and when we make ourselves better off, we also benefit others. "Self-interest" is "altruism."
Profits should be taken out and reinvested in production. This way, more profits can be generated and reinvested in production, leading to even more profits, creating a continuous cycle. Investments can take many forms: expanding factories, engaging in scientific research, developing new products. But regardless, the focus must be on increasing output, converting it into more profits. In the new dogma of capitalism, the most sacred principle is: "The profits from production must be reinvested to increase output."
In recent years, we have seen banks and governments frantically printing money. Everyone is worried that an economic crisis will lead to stagnation and no growth, so they have conjured trillions of dollars, euros, and yen out of thin air, creating a large amount of cheap credit in the financial system, hoping that scientists, technicians, and engineers can come up with groundbreaking inventions or discoveries to save the day before the economic bubble bursts. All hope rests on those in the laboratories. Discoveries in biotechnology and nanotechnology could create entirely new industries, bringing enormous profits that could offset the trillions of virtual numbers created by banks and governments since 2008. If the pace of the laboratories cannot keep up with the speed of the bubble bursting, the economic outlook will be very worrying.
Credit funds new discoveries, new discoveries bring colonies, colonies bring profits, profits establish trust, and trust transforms into more credit.
Chapter 17 The Giant Wheels of Industry#
Before the Industrial Revolution, humanity's energy market relied almost entirely on plants. It was like living next to a reservoir with a capacity of 3,000 megajoules per year, trying to extract as much water as possible. However, there is a clear total capacity. But during the Industrial Revolution, humanity discovered that the usable energy was not a reservoir but an entire ocean, with a capacity of possibly hundreds of billions of megajoules. All we needed was a better pump.
Before the Industrial Revolution, humanity's energy market relied almost entirely on plants. It was like living next to a reservoir with a capacity of 3,000 megajoules per year, trying to extract as much water as possible. However, there is a clear total capacity. But during the Industrial Revolution, humanity discovered that the usable energy was not a reservoir but an entire ocean, with a capacity of possibly hundreds of billions of megajoules. All we needed was a better pump.
Chapter 19 Living Happily Ever After#
Thus, we must consider a possibility. Although humanity has made significant improvements in material conditions over the past two centuries, the collapse of families and social disorder may have caused the effects of both to cancel each other out. If this is true, people today may not be happier than they were in 1800. Even the "freedom" we value so much today may be the reason we are less happy. Although we can choose our partners, friends, and neighbors, they can also choose to leave us. In modern society, everyone has unprecedented freedom to decide which path to take, but it also makes it increasingly difficult for us to truly keep our promises and remain committed. As a result, the cohesion of communities and families declines and disintegrates, leaving us feeling increasingly lonely.
Speaking of this biological theory, the essence can be captured by the famous New Age slogan: "Happiness comes from within." Money, social status, plastic surgery, luxury homes, and powerful positions do not bring you happiness. To achieve long-term happiness, one can only rely on serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.
As Nietzsche said, as long as there is a reason to live, almost anything can be endured. Life is meaningful, and even in adversity, it can be sweet; life is meaningless, and even in prosperity, it can feel like a year.
Rousseau's statement is classic: "What I feel is good is good. What I feel is bad is bad."
DNA is like Satan, using fleeting pleasures as bait to make people submit.
According to Buddhist views, most people place too much importance on their feelings, believing that pleasure equals happiness and unpleasant feelings equal suffering. Thus, humanity craves pleasure and seeks to avoid unpleasant feelings. However, this is a great misunderstanding. The fact is that human subjective feelings have no substance or meaning. Subjective feelings are merely fleeting fluctuations, changing with every moment, like waves. Whether you feel pleasure or discomfort, whether you think life has meaning, it is all just a momentary fluctuation.
To escape suffering and attain happiness, one must understand that all subjective feelings are merely momentary fluctuations and stop pursuing any particular feeling. In this way, although one may feel pain, one no longer feels miserable; although one may feel pleasure, it no longer disturbs the peace of the mind. Thus, the mind becomes clear and free. The power of this mental tranquility is so strong that those who have spent their lives madly pursuing pleasure cannot even imagine it. It is like someone who has stood on the beach for decades, always trying to catch the "good waves," hoping to keep them forever while trying to avoid certain "bad waves," wishing they would never come close. Day after day, this person stands on the beach in vain, exhausting themselves. Finally, they run out of strength, collapse on the beach, and let the waves come and go freely. Suddenly, they realize how peaceful it is!
Buddhism advises us not only to stop pursuing external achievements but also to stop pursuing those pleasurable internal feelings.
Thus, we must consider a possibility. Although humanity has made significant improvements in material conditions over the past two centuries, the collapse of families and social disorder may have caused the effects of both to cancel each other out. If this is true, people today may not be happier than they were in 1800. Even the "freedom" we value so much today may be the reason we are less happy. Although we can choose our partners, friends, and neighbors, they can also choose to leave us. In modern society, everyone has unprecedented freedom to decide which path to take, but it also makes it increasingly difficult for us to truly keep our promises and remain committed. As a result, the cohesion of communities and families declines and disintegrates, leaving us feeling increasingly lonely.
Speaking of this biological theory, the essence can be captured by the famous New Age slogan: "Happiness comes from within." Money, social status, plastic surgery, luxury homes, and powerful positions do not bring you happiness. To achieve long-term happiness, one can only rely on serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.
As Nietzsche said, as long as there is a reason to live, almost anything can be endured. Life is meaningful, and even in adversity, it can be sweet; life is meaningless, and even in prosperity, it can feel like a year.
Rousseau's statement is classic: "What I feel is good is good. What I feel is bad is bad."
DNA is like Satan, using fleeting pleasures as bait to make people submit.
According to Buddhist views, most people place too much importance on their feelings, believing that pleasure equals happiness and unpleasant feelings equal suffering. Thus, humanity craves pleasure and seeks to avoid unpleasant feelings. However, this is a great misunderstanding. The fact is that human subjective feelings have no substance or meaning. Subjective feelings are merely fleeting fluctuations, changing with every moment, like waves. Whether you feel pleasure or discomfort, whether you think life has meaning, it is all just a momentary fluctuation.
To escape suffering and attain happiness, one must understand that all subjective feelings are merely momentary fluctuations and stop pursuing any particular feeling. In this way, although one may feel pain, one no longer feels miserable; although one may feel pleasure, it no longer disturbs the peace of the mind. Thus, the mind becomes clear and free. The power of this mental tranquility is so strong that those who have spent their lives madly pursuing pleasure cannot even imagine it. It is like someone who has stood on the beach for decades, always trying to catch the "good waves," hoping to keep them forever while trying to avoid certain "bad waves," wishing they would never come close. Day after day, this person stands on the beach in vain, exhausting themselves. Finally, they run out of strength, collapse on the beach, and let the waves come and go freely. Suddenly, they realize how peaceful it is!
Buddhism advises us not only to stop pursuing external achievements but also to stop pursuing those pleasurable internal feelings.
Chapter 20 The End of Homo Sapiens#
Biologists around the world are now fighting against the trend of intelligent design. Intelligent design opposes all the Darwinian evolution theories we learned in school and believes that since life is so complex and diverse, there must be some creator who planned all the biological details from the beginning. Biologists may have been right about the past, but ironically, when it comes to the future, intelligent design might be correct.
There are three ways intelligent design could replace natural selection: biological engineering, cyborg engineering, and inorganic life engineering.
Biologists around the world are now fighting against the trend of intelligent design. Intelligent design opposes all the Darwinian evolution theories we learned in school and believes that since life is so complex and diverse, there must be some creator who planned all the biological details from the beginning. Biologists may have been right about the past, but ironically, when it comes to the future, intelligent design might be correct.
There are three ways intelligent design could replace natural selection: biological engineering, cyborg engineering, and inorganic life engineering.
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