Since the day early man awoke from the wilderness, people have been pondering the question of how to live in a society with others. What we call society today emerged over five thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia,¹ the area located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in present-day Iraq.
But apart from rapid developments in science and technology, the basic pillars of civilization have changed very little. Just like the old Sumerians, Akkadians and Babylonians, today’s societies still rely on farming land, rearing cattle, educating children, building cities and planning for economies. For thousands of years, the prospect of booze and women has seduced young men to come and live in the city,² where ruling families could either exploit their labor, or send male surpluses away to fight wars.