Humankind’s Epoch Search for God *
Some who argue from a Christian perspective in opposition to A Brief History of Humankind, focus on chapter 12 because it deals with religion and how in Harari’s analysis man created religion to “legitimise widespread social and political orders…” [210] Though I do not agree with Harari’s evolutionary position nor his analysis concerning religion, he does make valid points on the progress of humankind, their impact on the earth and their search for happiness and I would add their search for God.
For the purpose of this post, I wish to reframe Harari’s thesis in the light of the human journey, which aside from the evolutionary foundation and the religious analysis, to name a few, Harari does a good job of outlining the human condition and the human journey without God. In that context I wish, with limited time and space, to reframe Harari’s story as humankind’s search for God, their denial of the existence of God, leading to the conclusion that they, then, must be God. I will make an effort to frame the journey via Harari’s major revolutions: the cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution, the scientific revolution and finally the future revolution.
Revolution # 1: In the beginning, humankind imagined: The Cognitive Revolution
According to Harari, the cognitive revolution was the first major revolution for the collective, resilient and now primary Homo sapiens. In part one of Harari’s thesis, Homo sapiens evolved from a larger group of animals and worked their way to the top of the food chain. Though humans would argue that they are set apart from the animal kingdom and even try to cover up their sorted past, they remain part of the larger tribe in the long line of great apes. [4, 5] And then suddenly, about 30,000 to 70,000 years ago a mutation in the brains of the Homo sapiens caused a revolution. Homo sapiens imagined! They communicated, spoke and even gossiped, and the history of humankind began. [23] In the beginning humankind imagined, and they declared, “now we are gods!”
Revolution # 2: In the second epoch humankind planted: The Agricultural Revolution
According to Harari, it was 10,000 years ago that humankind began to focus their energy and their newfound cognitive abilities toward manipulating animals and plants to suit their dietary needs. [77] The revolution brought about the development of larger sustainable communities. This leap from hunter-gatherer to sower and reaper brought with it a new system of classification for humans. The farmer had a more difficult and less satisfying life than the forager or even the hunter-gatherer, lowering the farmer’s social status, while the elite class was rewarded with food. When all was said and done, instead of domesticating the plant, plants domesticated Homo sapiens, and the vast divide among people became greater. [79] In the second epoch humankind planted and declared, “now we are gods!”
Revolution #3: In the third epoch humankind knew: The Scientific Revolution
According to Harari, at about AD 1500 another revolution was in full swing. It was at this time that “humankind had obtained enormous new powers by investing resources in scientific research.” (249) These new powers brought about change that was unprecedented in history. It brought with it mathematics, astronomy, medical advances, advances in the food supply, military refinements, exploration, conquest, and economic models from which capitalism, communism and the other “isms” sprang. The discovery of America was a turning point in the scientific revolution in that Europe was forced to develop new systems and technology to gain access to the fullness that the new land promised. The discovery was fuel to the flame of scientific revolution. In the third epoch, humankind knew and declared, “now we are gods!”
Revolution #4 In the fourth epoch humankind became God: The Future Revolution.
According to Harari, even though humans have not yet progressed to deity level—natural selection still being the more dominant design agent—it will eventually happen. [389] In fact, Harari states that “At the time of writing, the replacement of natural selection by intelligent design could happen in any of three ways: through biological engineering, cyborg engineering (cyborgs are beings that combine organic with non-organic parts) or the engineering of inorganic life.” [399] Humankind can now create absent a compass or a moral standard, without direction or guidance outside of self-preservation and selection. They are “more powerful than ever before, but have very little idea what to do with that power.” Someone said that the brain is the only human organ was able to name itself. In the fourth epoch, humankind became God!
The journey of humankind presented in Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, is one of conquest and revolution, but at its core is a search for happiness, the search for God. Harari admits that happiness is not based on objective conditions but on subjective expectations. [383] In every revolution, in every move forward, in every new discovery there was a move toward happiness, and that desire for happiness brought humans closer together and yet further apart. It was as if there is a longing for relationship buried deep inside of the human soul. The journey it inspired should have lead to God, but instead, it lead to the deception that we, in fact, are God!
Though we have come far, we may not have come as far as we might believe. If indeed those of the middle ages were less developed then we claim to be today, Harari admits that at least “they may well have viewed their lives as far more meaningful and worthwhile than modern secular people, who in the long term can expect nothing but complete and meaningless oblivion.” [391] For me there is one reason for the revolutions, humankind’s search for God. Therefore, there is only one answer to the human predicament, not that we become God, but that we allow him to be in the center of our life and journey.
Yuval Noah, Harari. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Kindle ed. New York, NY: Harper, 2015.
*For literary purposes I use the word “epoch” instead of “epic” in the title.
About the Author
Jim Sabella
6 responses to “Humankind’s Epoch Search for God *”
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Thanks Jim for this great summary and insights. It helped me get an even clearer grasp on the book. It is sad for me to consider humans, as God’s loving creation, striving to become God versus to be connected to God. I marvel at His grace and patience with us. Also, this powerful statement gave me pause: They are “more powerful than ever before, but have very little idea what to do with that power.” The story of the Tower of Babel comes to mind. It’s a dismal thought, but as long as there is sin in the world, I can see power being used recklessly, and God having to intervene due to the abuse of power. I find comfort in the fact that there is power in the name and blood of Jesus. Nothing and no one can stand against it.
Great minds think alike on the opening picture.
You have undertaken an epic task (pun intended), and done it justice. I, too, recognized in Harari’s text (and interviews), a quest for happiness– and even its definition– even more so than “meaningfulness.” And your thesis is compelling, even to the point of connecting our long-held desire to be gods back to the biblical text of Babel. We’ve always been seeking God, and apparently, always seeking to be gods ourselves.
As I read SAPIENS, I thought of the famous Blaise Paschal quote that people have a “God shaped void” in their hearts. I can see that you picked up on that as well.
While Harari used the paradigm of “god” to talk about the progress of human evolution, you view this progress as attempts to reunite with our creator.
What a great way to summarize the book.
You pulled the thread of man’s search for God through the whole analysis. It is in the end where every thinking person ends up. Will God be God or will I be God? “Therefore, there is only one answer to the human predicament, not that we become God, but that we allow him to be in the center of our life and journey.”
The whole thing about the agriculture made me laugh since we now have the Paleo diet and the Ketogenic diet and not to mention so many people are shunning wheat due to the gluten.
I’m not trying to be a smart alec; it was just one more disconnect for me in the book.
Jim,
What an amazing post & response to Saipens. Your engagement with the text was really engaging and profound.
As I thought about your point that ‘we may not have come as far as we believed’
The thing that struck me so much as I read this book is that Harari takes all of his knowledge and insight to conclusions that the knowledge doesn’t require.
What I mean that I strongly believe that someone can assent to all of the biological points that Harari makes (evolution, creation, etc.) and hold to a belief in the ‘imagined’ communities as well as a belief in God.
He takes this knowledge to an extreme that it doesn’t require and you helped me understand that in a new way.
Thanks again – really great post!
“In every revolution, in every move forward, in every new discovery there was a move toward happiness, and that desire for happiness brought humans closer together and yet further apart. It was as if there is a longing for relationship buried deep inside of the human soul.”
Yes the chase for happiness and fullfilment is an empty endeavor. Nothing will bring complete satisfaction. What we seek out at times will only leave us with disappointment once we acquire it. One thing history shows us is that we have been on this journey to find meaning and happiness since the beginning. Ultimately, what we long for can only be found in a relationship with our creator. Great post Jim!