Cities: A New History of Humanity PDF

**[CITIES]** The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity -- Graeber & Wengrow Questions std metanarrative of simple/egalitarian complex/hierarchical Western political philosophers (e.g., Rousseau) get it all wrong "Carnival parade of political forms": Traditional Model of Linear Social Ev...

**[CITIES]** The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity -- Graeber & Wengrow Questions std metanarrative of simple/egalitarian complex/hierarchical Western political philosophers (e.g., Rousseau) get it all wrong "Carnival parade of political forms": Traditional Model of Linear Social Evolution Rousseau's Essay on the Origins of Social Inequality (1754) Basis of other 'big history' writers (Diamond, Fukuyama, Huari) Agriculture + cities Hierarchy and inequality G&W: Societies were far more complex, with dynamic governance before agriculture Early cities like those in Mesoamerica and Ukraine were egalitarian and self-organizing. Surpluses didn't automatically lead to rulers/classes; some societies maintained equality. Many urban societies adopted strategies to avoid concentrations of power. Problems with Graeber and Wengrow argument: Ratchet Effect: Difficulty with reversing a course of action Selective Use of Evidence Isolated cases of egalitarian urbanism (e.g., Teotihuacan) Challenges in Scaling Egalitarian Systems Even if egalitarian governance is feasible in small communities, Overly Optimistic View of Human Agency Focus on human choice downplays envt'l and material constraints that drive social change. Key questions 1. What is a city, and how do the life and death of cities relate to societal collapse? 2. What is Relationship b/w the city and the Western notion of civilization? 3. How do you create a city when you've never seen one? 4. Is it possible to have an egalitarian city, or do cities and hierarchy always go together? 5. What do the successes and failures of past cities tell us about our world? Newitz book Four 'lost' cities: Catalhoyuk (7500 BCE), Pompeii (700 BC), Angkor (800 CE), Cahokia (1050 CE) Thesis: Four 'lost' cities illustrate the antiquity / diversity of cities Political instability and authoritarianism: Çatalhöyük (7100-5700 BCE, Turkey) Early settlement with no apparent social hierarchy. Pompeii (79 CE, Italy) A Roman city destroyed by eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Angkor (800-1431 CE, Cambodia) Cahokia (1050-1350 CE, United States) Themes and Lessons Urban decline often results from a combo of political instability, envt'l stress, human decisions Draws parallels to modern urban challenges