Democracy was not invented

Democracy was not invented in the modern West. Neither was it not invented in other parts of the world and earlier times. Democracy has been present throughout the human evolution.

Small human groups have organized themselves fairly democratically for millions of years. It was and is what some simply call ‘tribal’ life, ignoring the many stages of ‘tribal’ organization, from the smallest groups to extensive kingdoms.

Women of the small groups jointly enter the jungle near camps to collect plant food, babies on their back, children around, while casually chatting, deliberating about pros and cons of a plant, or warning one another for dangers. Women with proven knowledge and wisdom may be more listened to than other women. Often they are the elder ones, but not always so. Don’t forget that staying alive is a daily concern. Listening to proven wisdom contributes to survival of the group. But all women chat.

Their men go out in hunting parties to shoot or catch prey animals. For strategic reasons they operate silently but signal to one another about a nearby prey animal or to warn for a predator or other dangers. Men with proven knowledge and wisdom may be more listened to than other men. They may be the elder ones, but not always so. Also here, survival is a deep concern and listening to proven wisdom a necessity.

Before and after the hunt men also deliberate. And in the camp a lot of talking goes on. The wiser members, female and male, may listen to all and express opinions when they feel it needed. Women and men with proven knowledge and wisdom may be more listened to than others, be they the eldest ones or not. Those habits lead to joint decisions for the good of the group.

If the group does not tap in on joint knowledge and wisdom it risks to perish and mistakes die out. If joint decisions are effective, the group survives and transfers apt thinking, feeling and acting to next generations.

But there was another force that endangered the original democracy. That came in the form of larger-scale communities with hierarchies that installed oppression and exploitation by force.

Lucky are the communities and societies that grew to large-scale size and could maintain parts of small-scale democracy. The Netherlands are an example.