Roland Y. Kim, Ph.D. (2021). The Five Stages of Civilization: From an Integrated Psychological and Psychoanalytic Perspective. Los Angeles: Living Free Publishing.
Introduction: The Roots of Fairness
In one of the most striking demonstrations of moral emotion among nonhuman animals, primatologist Frans de Waal observed two capuchin monkeys trained to exchange a small rock for food. Both were satisfied with cucumbers—until one was rewarded with a grape, the more desirable treat. Upon seeing this inequity, the monkey receiving the cucumber erupted in protest, angrily throwing the food back and refusing to cooperate (de Waal, 2013).
De Waal termed this response inequity aversion—a biologically grounded sense of fairness observed even in other social animals. This finding upends the traditional view that fairness is a human cultural invention. Instead, it is a social emotion evolved to sustain cooperation. In his words, “We evolved with sharing as part of the system” (de Waal, 2010, 2013).
This insight provides a fascinating bridge to human civilization. Using the Five Stages of Civilization Model (Kim, 2021), we can trace how the sense of equality and equity evolves—from visceral reactions for survival to empathic integration that underpins mature societies.
Stage 1: Fear–Dependency — Fairness as Survival
At the first stage of civilization, fairness is equated with security and protection. The primary moral code is “I must survive.” People accept hierarchy and inequality if it provides stability or safety. Fairness is primitive, physical, and tribal.
Much like the monkey in de Waal’s experiment, early human societies perceive fairness in immediate, tangible terms—Do I get enough food? Am I protected by the strong? Inequality is tolerated if the leader ensures group survival, but deprivation or betrayal triggers primal outrage.
Trigger of unfairness: deprivation or abandonment.
Emotion: rage or despair.
Historical form: feudal loyalty, tribal hierarchy, dependence on authority.
Stage 2: Anger–Detachment — Fairness as Merit and Competition
As self-assertion develops, fairness becomes tied to merit, performance, and effort. This marks the rise of competitive, achievement-oriented societies. Inequality is justified by the belief that the capable and industrious deserve more.
At this level, fairness is comparative rather than empathic: “I accept inequality if I could, in principle, earn the same reward.” Those who rise by talent or discipline are admired; those who gain advantage through favoritism provoke anger. Fairness is defined by meritocracy, not compassion.
Trigger of unfairness: undeserved success or systemic corruption.
Emotion: envy, resentment.
Historical form: capitalism, social Darwinism, individualistic ethics.
Stage 3: Guilt–Reparation — Fairness as Law and Moral Reciprocity
At this stage, fairness transforms into justice, morality, and social responsibility. The concern shifts from who earns more to whether laws apply equally. Equality becomes a principle codified in religion, ethics, and governance.
Fairness here is rooted in duty and guilt: the moral conscience ensures order through adherence to shared rules. Yet this form of fairness, though moral, remains external—it relies on compliance and fear of punishment rather than empathy.
Trigger of unfairness: hypocrisy, legal bias, or moral double standards.
Emotion: guilt, shame, moral outrage.
Historical form: religious codes, constitutions, bureaucratic justice.
Stage 4: Freedom–Independence — Fairness as Opportunity
In the fourth stage, fairness centers on freedom and autonomy. The ideal is equality of opportunity, not necessarily of outcome. Individuals should be free to pursue their potential without coercion or discrimination.
This is the stage of liberal democracies and human rights movements. Fairness is procedural rather than distributive—what matters is the fairness of the system, not its results. Yet, without emotional integration, freedom can degenerate into indifference: the privileged may mistake others’ structural disadvantages for personal failure.
Trigger of unfairness: restriction of liberty or censorship.
Emotion: frustration, pride in independence.
Historical form: constitutional liberalism, free markets, civil rights reforms.
Stage 5: Empathy–Integration — Fairness as Co-Flourishing
The final stage marks a profound evolution: fairness becomes relational and empathic. Equality now means ensuring that everyone has what they need to flourish, not merely the same opportunities.
Stage 5 societies practice equity—a form of fairness sensitive to context and need. Here, the strong assist the weak not from guilt or pity, but from an empathic recognition of shared humanity. The emotional and systemic dimensions of fairness are fully integrated: survival (Stage 1), effort (Stage 2), justice (Stage 3), and liberty (Stage 4) converge into compassion-based collaboration.
Trigger of unfairness: exclusion, humiliation, or exploitation of dignity.
Emotion: empathy, grief, and moral courage.
Historical form: restorative justice, open society, humanitarian ethics.
From Monkeys to Moral Minds: The Emotional Logic of Fairness
De Waal’s primate studies reveal that fairness originates not from rationality but from emotion. The cucumber-throwing monkey expresses the same moral protest that underlies human social justice movements: the pain of being devalued.
Humans evolved by transforming these emotional protests into moral systems. Fairness begins in the body (Stage 1), is refined by the ego (Stage 2), codified in conscience (Stage 3), expanded by freedom (Stage 4), and finally harmonized by empathy (Stage 5). Each level retains the emotional trace of its origins—protest against deprivation, resentment against injustice, guilt over wrongdoing, and ultimately compassion for all beings.
Conclusion: Toward an Empathic Civilization
Modern societies operate technologically at Stage 4 sophistication but emotionally remain caught between Stage 2 competition and Stage 3 moralism. Our debates over inequality—whether in wealth, race, or global resources—often oscillate between envy and guilt rather than understanding.
The evolution of fairness calls for a new emotional literacy: learning to experience justice as mutual care rather than moral superiority. As de Waal (2013) suggested, fairness is not an artificial ideal but a natural instinct that has evolved to preserve cooperation. The task before humanity is to consciously extend that instinct from our small tribes to the whole human family.
Fairness began with a monkey refusing a cucumber. It will end, perhaps, when humanity learns to share grapes—not just with its neighbors, but with all of life.
References
de Waal, F. B. M. (2010). The age of empathy: Nature’s lessons for a kinder society. Broadway Books.
de Waal, F. B. M. (2013, October). Moral behavior in animals [Video]. TED.
https://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_moral_behavior_in_animals
de Waal, F. B. M., & Brosnan, S. F. (2003). Monkeys reject unequal pay. Nature, 425(6955), 297–299. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01963
Kim, R. Y. (2021). The five stages of civilization: From an integrated psychological and psychoanalytic perspective. Living Free Publishing.
Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press.
Singer, P. (2011). The expanding circle: Ethics, evolution, and moral progress. Princeton University Press.
Tomasello, M. (2019). Becoming human: A theory of ontogeny. Harvard University Press.
