In the merciless arena of life, we are all subject to the law of the
jungle, to ruthless competition and the survival of the fittest - such
is the myth that has given rise to a society that has become toxic for
our planet and for our and future generations.
But today the lines are shifting. A growing number of new movements and
thinkers are challenging this skewed view of the world and reviving
words such as 'altruism', 'cooperation', 'kindness' and 'solidarity'. A
close look at the wide spectrum of living beings reveals that, at all
times and in all places, animals, plants, microorganisms and human
beings have practised different forms of mutual aid. And those which
survive difficult conditions best are not necessarily the strongest, but
those which help each other the most.
Pablo Servigne and Gauthier Chapelle explore a vast, forgotten continent
of mutual aid in order to discover the mechanisms of this 'other law of
the jungle'. In so doing, they provide a more rounded view of the world
of living things and give us some of the conceptual tools we need to
move beyond the vicious circle of competition and self-destruction that
is leading our civilization to the verge of collapse.