Part I - Partnering with Wolves
To understand how cooperation made us human,
we begin with our most unlikely allies: wolves.
Long before we forged civilizations, we hunted beside another predator.
Traditional theories about wolf domestication struggle to understand how we 'tamed' wolves, so that they became dogs.
We did not tame wolves. We became partners in the hunt. They learned to trust us, and we learned how to become reliable partners and share what we hunted. Together.
A sense of fairness is innate in wolves, and in us. This enabled our hunting pact. Wolves and dogs present a mirror in which we see a reflection of our shared values.
Wolves have grown into dogs. But the wolf still lives in them. And in us.
From Valentine's day to Lupa feeding Romulus and Remus, and instilling wolf values in them, wolves have impacted us.
We have co-evolved, developing a shared sense of fairness.
"If man is a wolf to man, let him be the
kind of wolf who shares the kill, raises the cubs, and howls not in anger, but
to cherish his pack."