The Unification of Humankind

Key Insight

History undeniably trends towards the unification of humankind, characterized by the gradual coalescence of smaller, simpler cultures into fewer, larger, and more complex civilizations. While micro-level events, such as the collapse of the Mongol Empire or the splintering of Christianity, might appear as diversions, a 'cosmic spy satellite' viewpoint, spanning millennia, reveals these as temporary 'speed bumps' in an inexorable movement towards global unity. This process is most clearly seen by observing the diminishing number of distinct human 'worlds' on Earth over time.

Around 10,000 BC, the planet hosted many thousands of isolated human worlds. Tasmania, for example, was cut off from the Australian mainland around 10,000 BC and its hunter-gatherers had no contact with other humans for 12,000 years until Europeans arrived in the nineteenth century. Major civilizations like Rome and Teotihuacan existed as entirely separate worlds in AD 378, without any mutual awareness or connection. By 2000 BC, these distinct worlds had dwindled to hundreds or a few thousand. A drastic reduction occurred by AD 1450, when close to 90 percent of humans lived in a single 'mega-world': Afro-Asia, already interconnected by significant cultural, political, and economic ties across most of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The remaining tenth of the world's human population in 1450 AD was divided between four major worlds: Mesoamerican, Andean, Australian, and Oceanic. Over the next 300 years, the Afro-Asian giant systematically absorbed these, consuming the Mesoamerican World in 1521, the Andean World in 1532, and the Oceanic and Australian Worlds (including Tasmania in 1803). This irreversible process resulted in today's single global culture, where almost all humans share a common geopolitical system (internationally recognized states), a capitalist economic system, a theoretical legal system (human rights, international law), and a unified scientific system. Despite containing diverse lifestyles, this global culture ensures interactions occur using shared concepts and methods, rendering truly 'authentic' cultures (defined as independently developed without external influences) virtually non-existent due to pervasive global influences over recent centuries.