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Human Nature Odyssey - REWIND - Against Leviathan: An Anarchist Fairytale of the Origin of Civilization
Listen to Human Nature Odyssey - REWIND - Against Leviathan: An Anarchist Fairytale of the Origin of Civilization by Alex Leff on Podcast Addict. This episode originally aired in October of 2024. Gather around the campfire for a ghost story about the most destructive monster in history: civilization itself. In this episode, we delve into the countercultural writings of Fredy Perlman, whose strange 1983 book "Against His-Story, Against-Leviathan"—riddled with grammatical errors and misspellings—blends myth and history to explore the nature of power, subjugation, and the struggle between the rulers and the ruled. Our journey takes us back to ancient Sumer, where egalitarian hunter-gatherer communities transformed into peasants and slaves bound by a mysterious force even the rulers couldn't control. We trace the rise of the first Lugals, the original kings of Mesopotamia, from Urukagina of Lagash, whose reforms sowed the seeds of his downfall, to Sargon of Akkad, who conquered all of Sumer only to become part of the Leviathan's vast machinery. Together, we'll explore how power and control first took root in the world's earliest cities—and how those ancient systems still shape our world today. This is a spooky episode. The hair on the back of your neck might stand up. But we can stay seated and relax. It is just a story after all. A fairytale, as Fredy would call it. CITATIONS Against His-Story, Against Leviathan [book] by Fredy Perlman (1983) Sargon of Akkad [article] by Joshua J. Mark (2009) Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles [book] by Albert Kirk Grayson (1975) Akkadian Empire victory stele circa 2300 BC from Louvre Museum If you'd like to support Human Nature Odyssey, please subscribe wherever you enjoy your podcasts and leave us a review. Join us on Substack and get exclusive access to audio extras, writings, and notes. For full episode transcripts and additional context, visit: resilience.org/human-nature-odyssey-podcast Theme Music is "Celestial Soda Pop" (Amazon, iTunes, Spotify) by Ray Lynch, from the album "Deep Breakfast." Courtesy Ray Lynch Productions © Ⓟ 1984/BMI. All rights reserved. . Amazon: Celestial Soda Pop https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B000QQXURI 2. iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/celestial-soda-pop/3242445?i=3242425 3. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2THDVIVytLuGX7S7UghuC1?si=20ea63807bba401f Additional Credits Vanhan ajan sota, taistelu, miekkailu / Ancient, old time battle, combat, horses snorting and galloping, men shouting and barking, fencing, swords clanging, mix by YleArkisto -- https://freesound.org/s/258207/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
