IN A NUTSHELL

A human evolutionary (i.e. Darwinian) explanation for the development and present state of our civilisation and the political, social, economic and environmental problems now threateningto put a premature end to it

Human nature and behaviour evolved in and are thus adapted to life, and the Darwinian struggle for survival, in essentially TWO different environments: the individual's extended family group (with which he identified and cooperated, developing strong bonds of affection and loyalty) and the environment external to it (including other, rival, groups of humans) which he feared and, with members of his own group, one way or the other, sought to exploit.

With the advent of civilization, these two environments became merged and confounded, the nation state and free-market capitalism developing in more recent times to exploit the confusion thus created and the artificial environment of human society itself, where, fatally misplaced, but blinded by familiarity, "success" and dependency, the individual continues his dumb-animal struggle for survival and advantage (now reduced largely to a struggle for POWER, especially in the form of MONEY, which, of course, has the potential to greatly enhance, especially male, reproductive success).

If I am right, and I'm pretty sure that I am, this means that our civilization, as it has developed and is currently structured, represents an evolutionary cul-de-sac (literally, a DEAD-end), where the intensity of its own self-exploitation (along with that of its physical environment) is rapidly leading to its own destruction.

Although there are a lot of details still to be worked out, this basically is the situation we are in, but have yet to recognise and face up to (for psychologically understandable reasons). Once we do, there is much that can be done, if not to avoid entirely the approaching catastrophe (for which it is now almost certainly too late), at least to reduce its impact and increase our (children's) chances of survival and recovery.