HGs (hunter-gatherers) in sub-tropical Africa* around the time of the Neolithic Revolution were likely similar to the ones remaining today. They live comfortably with little hunger, even though only a portion of the population works only a portion of the time. They migrate seasonally within a known range, which they consider their land. They are fiercely egalitarian–a skilled hunter is teased, not praised, to keep him modest–so that everyone shares equally in any bounty. They view nature as benevolent. Their deities are more-or-less peers: you don’t want to anger the gods, but you don’t expect them to be casually cruel. Mass death is unknown outside of interference from modern-world wars or diseases.

FWs (farmworkers) of the same period were likely similar to subsistence farmers today. They prepare the field, plant it, tend and protect the plants, harvest, process and store the food, build storage areas, maintain tools, and tend animals, in addition to household chores and childcare. Extensive planning is required at every stage, yet an entire year can be wiped out by a weather event, pest, or marauder. Historically, these societies appear to suffer periodic collapses that reduce the population by 30% to 60%. They know fear.

Which is to say, FWs do not view nature as provident. Nature means weeds choking your shoots, beetles destroying your fruit, wolves killing your cattle. Nature must be kept at bay by work, hard work, constant work. Their God–I’m going with Judeo-Christian here, the one I know best–is inexplicable, as likely to rain doom as to bless, and must be implored and obeyed.

That God also doesn’t really approve of sex, have you noticed that? Not germane, just sayin’…

Since there were soon many more FWs than HGs, and since FWs always need more land–for expansion, because of soil depletion or overgrazing, because it’s there–FWs take land from HGs. Even today, many people with FW value systems don’t view the wild living spaces of the HGs as being in use, or perceive any need for plants and animals that only thrive in non-cultivated habitat.

Not much of that remains, because, as you know, the FWs prevailed, big time. I guess God’s disapproval didn’t stop them from having sex after all.

So here we are, working our rumps off, succumbing to diseases we might not have if we ate real food, seeing wild spaces as entertainment at best and opportunities at worst. Most of us aren’t even farmers!

Is high culture worth it? That’s worse than musing on infinity. I have no ability to choose between Rachmaninoff and polar bears.

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* South America also has a large sub-tropical region, but not many humans had arrived at this time, about 10,000 years ago.