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Most imagined orders—like the Hindu caste system, racism, and the patriarchy—establish hierarchies: they argue that some people are inherently superior to others, and that everybody must stick to their place in the social pecking order so that society functions in an orderly fashion. Despite these problems, Harari thinks imagined orders work: they make people cooperate with strangers, which makes human societies flourish. He thinks that three imagined orders with global power—that unite people under the same rules—are money, empires, and religions. From Harari’s perspective, the imagined orders that humanity has come up with so far aren’t necessarily the best ones, and there could be better ones out there.
The Arrow of History
The Arrow of History
Harari notes that large-scale cooperation happens when people in a society believe in the same myths and follow the same rules... Read more
The Scent of Money
The Scent of Money
Harari discusses wars—for example, between the Christians and Muslims in the 1200s—to show that despite vast ideological differences, conflicting societies universally accepted and traded with money Read more
Imperial Visions
Imperial Visions
THE ANCIENT ROMANS WERE USED TO being defeated. Like the rulers of most of history’s great empires, they could lose battle after battle but still win the war Read more
The Law of Religion
The Law of Religion
Harari defines religion as a set of values based on “a belief in a superhuman order.” He also thinks religions unify people when they’re “universal” and “missionary,” Read more
The Secret of Success
The Secret of Success
Harari wonders if China will become the world’s superpower, or if humanity will destroy its ecosystem. Harari thinks that scholars can make predictions, but there’s always room for surprises—because there are so many factors to consider. Read more
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