乐生活How can a ship survive when it is stranded on an isolated, uninhabited island in the wind and waves?
There are also various variants of this question; its core is actually what kind of social organization can support a limited group to survive in the absence of resources?
For example, the future of interstellar colonization, or to develop wilderness such as the Antarctic and Arctic, or how human groups reborn after suffering disasters… Wait, you can’t get around this problem.
Nicholas Christakis, a biosociologist at Yale University, has studied the history of shipwreck survivors. Although the samples are limited (and there must be a real survivor bias), they can also summarize some rules:
– If we fall into the situation where the strong are stronger and the winners are all-inclusive (Hobbesian society), although the resources of the strong can be guaranteed for a while, in the long run, they will become very confused; if we kill each other, it will become literally cannibalism.
– Then, if a ship has a very distinct rank (such as sailors, superior boatmen, inferior boatmen, etc.), the inferior or the weak will quickly fall into the situation of literally being eaten.
(Specific cases include Batavia in 1629, Le Tigre in 1766, and Medusa in 1816…)
– Small societies with large-scale cooperation, care for the weak and equal distribution of resources are most likely to survive. Although some people may think that "resources are so limited, why should we take care of the weak? However, it is very useful for the maintenance of social order and human nature, and can encourage a cooperative social atmosphere.
– In this case, altruism and volunteerism will arise, and people will be willing to take risks (such as rowing to nearby islands for food). Julia Ann, who was killed in the Pacific Ocean in 1855, illustrates this point. (But more than half of the boat is Mormons… All right)
– A moderate leader is needed. His or her duty is not to direct or maintain any hierarchy, but to regulate contradictions and organize work. For example, Captain Alexander Greig of the 1821 Blenden Hall in the South Pacific. Although the small group had an accident because of the contradiction of crew rank, the whole group could cooperate better because the captain presided over the clear order of reward and punishment. His son was also very leadership, and Penguin blood was used as ink on the desert island to record a lot of things at that time.
– If you can meet indigenous people, it’s also crucial to live in peace with them. The Sydney Cove, stranded in Tasmania in 1797, established good relations with the Tasmanians.
Of course, for a wilderness vagrant group, how much resources are available, the educational level and social status of the people in these groups, and so on, may also have a very practical impact on the appearance of the whole small society. However. From Christakis’point of view, these things interact with human social organizations. His research field is the relationship between social networks and human evolution…
Although I feel that cross-border sociology and biology require very high theoretical attainment, as well as insight into human society and history (otherwise it will become a reactionary academic authority like E Wilson), Christakis’works still have some reference value.
The picture is a historical sample of the shipwreck/grounding accident in his research. You can also search for it if you are interested. Many historical stories (such as Moby Dick, etc.) are also influenced by these real things.
