Human Society as a Superorganism
Discussion
Human Society as a Superorganism
Nate Hagens:
Humans → superorganism
"We expend energy to produce work because our brains seek emotional states similar to that of our successful ancestors – physical and emotional homeostasis, comfort, status, excitement, relaxation, etc. all modulated by hormones, neurotransmitters and endocrine signals. To a Tibetan monk, this ‘state of comfort’ might be sitting quietly all day on a wooden bench, but for most humans in modern consumer culture, achieving this emotional state means: eating at a better restaurant, buying a better car, air conditioning or heat, fast internet, faster transportation, etc. For most people these preferences have a strong correlation to devices and processes requiring energy. Our ancestors didn’t live with Instagram, Fortnight, Teslas, sushi or Netflix. Addiction to modern stimuli and comfort tethers to resource consumption (Hagens, 2011; Ladika, 2018).
Additionally, we do not choose to wait or defer consumption and experiences. Rather, we have a strong preference for positive experiences in the present moment (Hagens, 2010). Even the ecologically literate will avoid ‘sustainable’ practices that accomplish equal goals but require more time (Penn, 2019). Since consumption requires energy, and we (generally) prefer immediate gratification, we can understand how our behaviors are linked to power (energy/time) in the real world (Hagens and Kunz, 2010). This seeking of 'power' by individuals, aggregated at the economy level, also explains the compulsion of debt, which pulls energy and material consumption to the present .
The Superorganism: blind, hungry and in charge
What began some 11,000 years ago as hunter gatherers cooperating to obtain physical surplus from land, has morphed into a globally connected human culture maximizing financial representations of physical surplus (Gowdy and Krall, 2013). In pursuit of economic growth, modern human culture appears as a self-organized, mindless, energy seeking Superorganism, functioning in similar ways to a brainless amoeba using simple tropisms. But why? How?
In nature, an individual starling follows three simple rules (Reynolds, 1987):
1) Do what your neighbor does
2) Don’t get too close
3) Fly towards the center
When tens of thousands of starlings follow these simple rules we see a beautiful, complex murmuration in the sky. This is an emergent result not predictable by the biology and behavior of the individual birds.
In similar ways, the surplus creating “requirements” of the global economic superorganism call forth compatible behaviors like acquisitiveness, greed for possessions, and simplified individual behaviors. Today, most modern humans – as individuals – follow something like the following 3 simple rules:
1) Execute optimal foraging algorithms by coordinating with other humans (families, small businesses, corporations, nations) towards acquiring financial surplus
2) Pursue culturally condoned behaviors
3) Spend the financial surplus on comfortable, fun things or experiences (as long as culturally acceptable)
In a global culture maximizing surplus value, human brains are thus linked to energy use via the 'pursuit of comfort' and 'avoidance of pain'. In aggregate, human economies require power just as animals eat food, or oak trees grow leaves (Odum, 2007). The emergent property of 7.7 billion humans going through their daily lives following simple rules like these is a ‘Superorganism’ with a 17 TW metabolism4 .
Implications:
There are several key implications from humanity effectively functioning as a Superorganism."
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800919310067)