In this blog post, I question Yuval Noah Harari’s argument about human originality presented in ‘Homo Deus’.
In the book ‘Homo Deus’, Yuval Noah Harari states that the human trait enabling humanity to dominate Earth is the ability to communicate and cooperate. Harari’s claim that this ability is the fundamental capacity distinguishing humans from other species rests on two main grounds.
First, the ability to adapt flexibly to diverse situations was crucial for humans reaching the top of the food chain. Harari contends that what made this possible was the far superior complexity-processing capability of human communication, unmatched by the communication of other species. This enabled humans to transcend simple survival strategies, form complex social structures, and develop culture and civilization. For instance, early human societies did not remain confined to family units or small groups but gradually formed larger communities and societies. This was largely due to humans’ unique communication abilities. Furthermore, human communication transcended simple information transfer, enabling the effective sharing of emotions, ideas, and complex concepts.
Furthermore, Yuval Noah Harari argues that the reason humans could dominate other species to an unparalleled degree was precisely because large-scale cooperation became possible. Had such extensive collaboration been impossible, humans would likely still be competing with other species or would struggle to achieve the stark differences seen today. This demonstrates how, throughout history, humans faced numerous crises and challenges yet overcame them by cooperating toward shared goals. The scope of this cooperation extended beyond mere survival; it enabled cultural and technological progress, playing a crucial role in advancing civilization. Through this, humans transcended basic survival to create their own unique cultures and pass them down to future generations.
Yuval Noah Harari’s argument appears quite persuasive, and when viewed through the lens of human characteristics we experience in daily life, it doesn’t feel particularly wrong. However, Harari does not provide concrete, objective evidence to support his claim that the ability to communicate and cooperate is the single most significant factor making humans special. While I acknowledge to some extent that the ability to handle complex communication for flexible adaptation and the potential for large-scale cooperation are human traits distinguishing us from other animals, the claim that these traits alone enabled humans to dominate the Earth is arguably merely Yuval Noah Harari’s own subjective opinion. In reality, throughout human history, such communication and cooperation have not solved all problems; rather, they have often led to conflict and war. Considering this, explaining human uniqueness solely through communication and cooperation is somewhat limited.
Furthermore, Yuval Noah Harari claims that intelligence and tool-making ability did not significantly contribute to humanity’s domination of the Earth, but this assertion also lacks sufficient evidence. Numerous studies conducted over time support the fact that intelligence and tool-making ability, no less than the capacity for communication and cooperation, have been uniquely human traits that have greatly influenced our impact. Traditional research has long suggested that bipedalism was the most significant factor making humans special. This is because bipedalism freed the hands for tool-making and use, leading to gradual increases in brain size and subsequent intellectual development. Australopithecus afarensis, often called the earliest human, is believed to have been able to make and use simple hand tools. Homo habilis, appearing two million years ago, literally means “tool-using human.” Crucially, it was only with Homo habilis that the language center emerged in the human brain. Language became the most critical factor enabling human communication and cooperation. Ultimately, the ability to walk upright led to the development of intelligence and tool-making skills. This became a form of training, creating conditions that allowed the brain to be used more freely, enabling the use of language.
This process represents one of the decisive moments in human evolution, laying the foundation for humans to transform into beings distinct from other animals. In particular, the development of tools transcended mere survival tools, influencing all human activities, from art and science to the construction of civilization. The ability to communicate and cooperate can be seen as a byproduct of the development of superior intelligence. Therefore, existing research shows that it is inherently contradictory to deny intelligence as a special human ability while emphasizing communication and cooperation. In this light, it is more accurate to fundamentally attribute the factor distinguishing humans from other animals to bipedalism. This is because bipedalism enabled the development of intelligence, tool-making ability, and communication and cooperation – all special abilities. I certainly do not claim to be absolutely certain that bipedalism is the cause of human domination of Earth. I am merely refuting Yuval Noah Harari’s view that communication and cooperation alone made humans special.
Yuval Noah Harari argues that ants and bees, which have engaged in organized cooperation since before Homo sapiens, failed to dominate humanity or Earth for the following reasons. He points out that while ants and bees exhibit highly sophisticated cooperation, they cannot communicate with each other, criticize one another, or improve their social systems. A prime example is that even when faced with threats from new environments or new opportunities, they cannot execute the queen on the guillotine, spark a revolution, and establish a republic. But I wish to counter this here. Is it truly only because of humans’ superior communication abilities that they sparked the French Revolution or developed the internet, enabling far broader and faster communication than before? I also believe Yuval Noah Harari’s fundamental argument that ants and bees have excellent cooperative abilities but lack communication skills is lacking in evidence. Yet ants and bees, whose cooperative abilities far surpass humans, cannot create the internet. This can only be interpreted as stemming from the difference in intelligence capable of conceiving something like the internet—connecting the world through waves—and the ability to create tools like computers. If ants or bees possessed the intelligence and tool-making capabilities sufficient to develop the internet, they would have evolved that way.
Furthermore, human civilization developed through a process of challenge and response in the struggle against nature. Human domination of the Earth did not result solely from communication and cooperation; it stemmed from the ability to understand nature and transform it to suit human needs. Therefore, the claim that communication and cooperation alone made humans special is sufficiently refutable.
For these reasons, evidence, and data, I do not fully agree with Yuval Noah Harari’s opinion that the fundamental and unique trait that enabled humans to dominate the Earth is the ability to communicate and cooperate.
