Does David Geary think war was the main driver of civilization?

Yes. David Geary told Chris Williamson that war was the primary driver of building civilizations. Nomadic raiders attacking farming communities pushed both sides to organize larger groups and new technology, and growing societies then needed weapon makers, farmers and traders. Geary argues intense cooperation among strangers and intense conflict are two sides of the same coin.

Geary says once a ruling group secures a hierarchy, it suppresses violence within the group.
In peaceful times, Geary says, status competition moves online into cancel culture.

▸In their words

“I think they get bored and they start attacking each other on social media.” David Geary · at 31:09 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Modern Wisdom (2026-11-05). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode

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