A critical review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by Graeber and Wengrow, examining their challenge to standard prehistory narratives and proposing an alternative hypothesis. Longer summary

This book review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by David Graeber and David Wengrow critically examines the authors' attempt to challenge standard narratives of human prehistory. The reviewer praises the book's wealth of archaeological evidence but criticizes its political bias. The review explores the book's key arguments about the diversity of prehistoric societies, the non-revolutionary nature of agriculture, and the 'indigenous critique' of Western civilization. It also discusses the book's treatment of the 'Sapient Paradox' and proposes an alternative hypothesis about prehistoric social organization based on 'raw social power'. The review concludes by drawing parallels between this prehistoric 'Gossip Trap' and modern social media dynamics. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander describes six fictional legal systems, each with unique and sometimes absurd approaches to justice and social order, exploring various legal and philosophical concepts in a creative and humorous manner. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents six fictional legal systems in this creative writing piece. Each system is unique and explores different approaches to justice, punishment, and social order. The Clamzorians treat natural objects as legal entities, Pohjankaupunki uses mood-altering drugs as punishment, Sloviria punishes society for individual crimes, Nova-Nishistan's system is based on blackmail, Bogolia ensures equal legal representation, Sanzorre evolved into an insurance-dominated system, and Mirakoth relies on judges' subjective opinions without formal laws. The post humorously examines the potential consequences and quirks of each system, highlighting various philosophical and practical issues in legal theory and social organization. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander proposes 'Archipelago', a society of voluntary communities, as a potential solution to issues in modern politics and social organization. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'Archipelago', a hypothetical society where people can form voluntary communities based on shared values and principles. He argues that this model could potentially solve many problems of modern liberalism and conservatism, while preserving individual freedoms and addressing issues of oppression. The post discusses the challenges of implementing such a system in the real world, but suggests that increasing societal fracture into subcultures and online communities might be a step in that direction. Shorter summary