The dynamics of inequality in the human story - a brief sketch

Teaching contemporary inequality can be significantly enriched by being nested in its dynamics over the course of human history. This essay provides those teaching inequality with a brief sketch of: 1) the original human condition of a high degree of equality that endured for 97% to 98% of our species’ existence as foragers and early agriculturalists; 2) the origin of extreme inequality that accompanied the rise of states and civilisation about 5,500 years ago as weapons technology enabled a few to subjugate the producers; 3) why, despite a significant degree of political democracy in many contemporary societies, extreme inequality persists.