Free Societies are Warrior Societies

Rekindling the Ethos of Our Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors

In the realm of Western democracies, we find ourselves ensnared within the intricate web of the Social Contract Theory, an enduring concept that was first laid out by Thomas Hobbes. According to Hobbes, the natural state of humanity is one of desolation, impoverishment, squalor, brutality, and perpetual peril—a life devoid of arts, letters, or genuine society. He argues that our transition into civil society requires the relinquishment of our intrinsic right to wield coercive force, thus enabling governments to establish a monopoly on such power.

In historical retrospect, some societies, like the fledgling United States during its war of independence, acknowledged the populace's prerogative to alter or abolish oppressive governmental regimes. This was necessary to legitimize its own beginning. This acknowledgment found partial expression in the Second Amendment, which asserts the people's right to bear arms. For a time, the concept of a vibrant culture of resistance thrived among the American people, though the stamping out of the Whiskey Rebellion by George Washington is an early sign it was never a reality.

Regrettably, this fundamental right to collectively resist government has largely metamorphosed into an abstract concept in contemporary Western democracies. These societies extol the virtues of the Rule of Law, yet the definition of terrorism—a term applied to civilians using violence to advance a political cause—fails to account for the violence wielded by governments ostensibly founded upon the will of the people. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that the law itself is molded by the ideologies of and chiefly benefits the ruling class. Laws are decreed and enforced by governments upheld by this privileged elite.

James Madison nearly admitted it out loud at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 when arguing that features of the Constitution were meant to protect the opulent minority from the majority. Many features of the law today do just that.

The ruling class has meticulously fashioned a societal framework wherein the beliefs and values of this elite group have become the prevailing cultural norm. This phenomenon, elucidated by Antonio Gramsci as Cultural Hegemony, erroneously portrays the existing social, political, and economic status quo as a natural, unavoidable, and universally advantageous state of affairs, rather than as artifices primarily designed to serve the interests of the ruling class.

Whatever theoretical right the people believed they once had to alter or abolish government, the widespread beliefs of the people have been manipulated, aligning with the interests of the ruling class. This is a far more effective way to rule than with an iron fist.

Why Hobbes Was Completely Wrong

Hobbes' portrayal of the state of nature is deeply flawed. Was it genuinely solitary? Nowhere near as solitary as our contemporary lives, which are often characterized by isolation. "No arts"? Quite the contrary, hunter-gatherer societies effortlessly integrated art into their daily existence, luxuriating in ample leisure time for creative endeavors. Anthropologists note that it was common for our ancient ancestors to have a 20 hour work week. "No society"? On the contrary, their communities were far more robustly interconnected and healthier than the societies envisioned by Hobbes or those we inhabit today. "Poor"? If by "poor" we mean they refrained from exploiting one another to amass great wealth, then indeed, they were "poor." However, their wealth, defined through a different lens, was enriched with culture and human connection. "Nasty, brutish, and short"? Except for infant mortality rates, so-called primitive humans enjoyed lives generally healthier, with life expectancies akin to modern humans. Their existence revolved around one another, not careers, attainment of status and wealth, or the destructive power of tanks and bombs.

The origins of patriarchy, colonization, wars, and the enslavement of people can be traced back to the abandonment of the warrior society. The advent of agriculture ushered in surplus food, precipitating the division of labor and the need to safeguard and control this abundance. Hence, militarism was conceived—an echelon that granted full-time professional warrior status to select individuals, thereby initiating the dominion of hierarchy. Those who commanded both food and soldiers seized control over all aspects of society.

In stark contrast, hunter-gatherer societies exhibited none of these dynamics. In these egalitarian communities, everyone was a warrior, and no single entity monopolized coercive force. Consequently, no one could exert dominance over others, and the emergence of permanent hierarchies remained elusive. Temporary hierarchies, when they arose, were relegated to serving temporary, context-specific purposes—a subject deserving of separate exploration.

The paramount question that beckons is this: Can we resurrect the warrior society for the sake of a sustainable and liberated world? Indeed, we possess the capacity to do so. Contemporary examples serve as beacons of inspiration: the Irish society in 1920, the Zapatistas in Mexico, and the Kurdish experiment unfolding in Rojava, Syria.

Rojava, in particular, provides a compelling insight into this ethos. In this autonomous Syrian region, the absence of a traditional state is supplanted by an organized administration grounded in the principles of bottom-up democracy, aptly termed Democratic Confederalism. Remarkably, every able-bodied individual, including women, is an integral part of a local militia. Women assume leadership roles in all-women's units, and within this society of warriors, collaboration and partnership flourish.

Women Militia in Rojava

The subjugation of a society of warriors proves to be an arduous task, for such a society perceives its members as equals and excels in cooperative endeavors. As the old order crumbles under the weight of its own deficiencies, a void emerges—a void that teems with both opportunity and peril. Tyrants and malefactors are already vying to seize this void, and it falls upon us, as a collective, to become vigilant and prepared to safeguard our communities.

The resurgence of a free society hinges upon the rekindling of the warrior culture—a culture not steeped in violence, but rooted in resilience, cooperation, and an unwavering commitment to defending freedom. It is only through the embrace of this ethos that we may aspire to forge a world that is sustainable and liberated, a world where the freest societies are, indeed, warrior societies.