Fry reports on a recent paper published in Science (behind a paywall) which confirms some long held Marxist opinions about the original humans and human nature: the social structure was based on mother-right, or matriarchy, in which a fundamental equality existed between women and men. Today this period of human social development is often called the primary commune.
Fry also sees this confirmation has having support for those Marxists and other activists who believe that humans are capable of creating very different societies to replace today's dominant patriarchal type that is reinforced by capitalism.
Not satisfied with just academic research on this, Marxists view the legacy of egalitarian matriarchy, of the primary commune, to be a springboard into the present-day struggle against this outmoded, racist, sexist, anti-gay, oppressive class society.
Because of the early level of the productive forces, humans in the original communes faced a tough, uphill struggle against the forces of nature. Yet they provided evidence that we humans can build a powerful social model in which to survive and grow, based on equality and filling the needs of the whole community.
Today, we humans have developed vast powers of production that could be used to satisfy our needs. Instead, in most countries, economic life is chained to the profit motive. To reach the next step on the ladder of social development — the construction of a society that meets the needs of all people on a much higher level — this rotting capitalist system has to be overthrown.
