ABSTRACT
As I have attempted to show, humans are not genetically equipped to function effectively in large groups. That is hardly surprising, for the tendency for large groups to malfunction needs to be considered against the origin of the human species. Evolution has designed us for existence in a different ecosystem from the one we now occupy. If only a small slice of time could be removed from the total span of human genetic history, and we were to press fastback, we could find ourselves close to our primeval roots. By nature we would be much as we are now but living in a less densely populated landscape. Small co-operative groups would be busily engaged in hunting, gathering and some limited planting. Such a world would invite adventure and exploration, where survival demands a spread of work roles to match a limited but varying spread of challenges. In such an environment small-scale society provides exactly the right setting in which teams can be created, comprising people who know each other intimately and choose to work in close association.
