For 'Goliaths' in the Real World, 'Inequality' Is the Biggest Weakness

Luke Kemp, a historian and visiting fellow at Cambridge University's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, presents a provocative argument in his book 'The Goliath Curse.' He contends that inequality, rather than external factors, is the direct cause of civilizational collapse. Kemp defines 'Goliath' as a collective of interconnected hierarchical structures where a select few individuals dominate others by controlling energy and labor. These are characterized as "terrifyingly violent and dreadfully unequal social structures" where power is monopolized.

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Goliath is defined as a collection of interconnected hierarchical structures where individuals control energy and labor to dominate others.

Kemp traces the roots of inequality back to the advent of settled agriculture around 9700 BCE. Initially, early humans lived in relative equality, forming broad social networks. However, the surplus generated by farming and animal husbandry necessitated management and a ruling class, leading to the rise of kingdoms. These ruling elites accumulated wealth through conquest and trade, passing it down through generations. This intensified "status competition" and the desire for domination, creating vast inequalities in large settlements and cities. Kemp cites the destruction of the Tao Si city in northern China around 2000 BCE as an example, where extreme wealth disparities preceded its collapse, yet the population persisted, demonstrating that Goliath's demise does not mean the end of a civilization but rather an opportunity for new possibilities.

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The vast majority of human history, humans lived in relative equality.

The book argues that each subsequent iteration of 'Goliath' has become "more unequal and extractive." The Roman Empire, for instance, maintained low taxes for its elite while heavily taxing conquered territories. This imbalance allowed the elite to evade taxes, leading to economic and political instability. Slave revolts, like that led by Spartacus, further destabilized the empire. Kemp notes that imperial collapse often resulted in "more egalitarian states," with "wealth equality expanding the more severe the collapse."

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The more severe the collapse, the greater the expansion of wealth equality.

In the 21st century, Kemp asserts, the world is in a "final war" phase, characterized by severe global catastrophic risks. These include threats to essential systems like food and telecommunications, which could lead to mass death. Climate change, nuclear war, autonomous weapons, and volcanic eruptions are all interconnected existential risks. Kemp's ultimate call to action is for humanity to unite and "kill the global Goliath," advocating for open borders and the use of technology to foster democracy, suggesting that dismantling these structures of inequality is the key to survival.

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we must aim for 'killing the global Goliath.'