Yuval Noah Harari’s Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI opens with Part I: “Human Networks,” which explores how human societies have been built and bound together by networks of information. Harari argues that the unique ability of Homo sapiens to create flexible, large-scale networks underpins our species’ success. In this section, he traces the evolution of human information networks from prehistoric tribes to modern nations, illustrating how shared information – from factual data to powerful myths – enabled cooperation among vast numbers of strangers. He also examines how these networks shaped culture and power structures throughout history, and why they can be both immensely empowering and dangerously fragile.

Information as Connection (Not Just Truth)

Harari begins by redefining information in a broad sense. Rather than seeing information simply as raw facts or data, he emphasizes its role as “the fundamental building block” of human society​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. Information, in Harari’s view, includes anything that can be communicated or symbolized – from spoken language and written records to genetic codes or even the movements of stars​keetabikeeda.in. What makes humans special is how we harness and share information: we have learned to store, process, and disseminate knowledge through complex networks in ways no other species can​keetabikeeda.in.

A key point is that information’s power lies in connection rather than pure accuracy. Harari notes that human networks run on a mix of accurate facts and shared fictions​keetabikeeda.in. In other words, not everything people communicate is objectively true – but if it’s believed widely, it can still bind people together. He cites examples like religious scriptures or even superstitions: these may not be empirically “true,” yet they are undeniably information that has shaped history by connecting billions of people​amarks555.medium.com​amarks555.medium.com. For instance, the biblical narrative became one of the most influential texts ever not because it was a scientific account of reality, but because it created a common framework of meaning for diverse populations​amarks555.medium.com. Throughout history, Harari argues, humans have leveraged both truth and fiction to forge networks that grant us tremendous cooperative power​keetabikeeda.in​amarks555.medium.com.

Importantly, Harari rejects the “naïve” notion that more information automatically means more truth or wisdom​moderndiplomacy.eu. History shows that false information, rumors, and myths can spread just as far (or farther) than factual data, precisely because they often serve to connect communities or justify authority​amarks555.medium.com​amarks555.medium.com. He even points out paradoxes like astrology: for millennia, millions believed in astrological ideas that had no scientific basis, yet these beliefs influenced real decisions and social orders​amarks555.medium.com. In Harari’s view, information is whatever links people into a network – whether or not it accurately represents reality​amarks555.medium.com. This perspective sets the stage for understanding human networks as phenomena held together by shared narratives, beliefs, and symbols as much as by objective knowledge.

The Power of Shared Myths and Stories

One of Harari’s core arguments is that shared stories (myths, legends, religions, and cultural narratives) are the original social networks that enabled humans to cooperate in huge numbers​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. In Part I, he explains that early human bands were small – likely just a few dozen individuals – and cooperation was limited to those who personally knew and trusted one another. The breakthrough that allowed larger social networks was the development of fiction and collective myths. By telling stories, humans could create a “story of us” that hundreds or millions of people believed in – even if those people were strangers to each other​blog.deettajones.com​keetabikeeda.in.

Harari gives examples of how belief in common myths united people in ancient times. For instance, religious narratives (like belief in particular gods or divine kingship) allowed early societies to mobilize armies and organize large projects because followers shared a spiritual bond and a set of rules​keetabikeeda.in. A population that believes “the king is ordained by the gods,” for example, will collectively obey that king and work together, whereas without that shared belief, large-scale order would falter. These intersubjective beliefs – concepts that exist only in people’s shared imagination – became a glue for society​amarks555.medium.com. Harari notes that things we take for granted today, such as nations, churches, or even money, are fundamentally built on stories and agreed-upon myths. They exist not in objective reality but in the collective minds of people, yet they wield enormous power because they coordinate behavior on a massive scale​amarks555.medium.com​amarks555.medium.com.

The ability to create and spread such stories gave Homo sapiens an edge over all other creatures. No other animal can unite millions of individuals around abstract ideas like a religion or a nation-state​amarks555.medium.com​amarks555.medium.com. Harari echoes a theme from his earlier work Sapiens: **humans rule the planet because we can “cooperate flexibly in large numbers,” and we do so by believing in shared fictions​amarks555.medium.com. Whether it’s the divine mythologies of ancient empires or modern “brands” and ideologies, narratives inspire people to work together toward common goals.

However, Harari also highlights a dual nature to these story-based networks: they foster cooperation but can also create divisions and conflicts​keetabikeeda.in. Competing narratives (for example, different religions or political ideologies) have often led groups to clash. Thus, while a unifying myth can be immensely powerful within a network, multiple networks with incompatible beliefs can become polarized. This insight foreshadows challenges in later history where information networks battle for dominance – an issue Harari revisits when discussing modern media and politics.

Documents, Bureaucracy, and the Expansion of Networks

Beyond spoken myths, Harari examines the next leap in human networking: the advent of written documents and bureaucratic organization. In Chapter 3, “Documents: The Bite of the Paper Tigers,” he describes how the invention of writing allowed information (and thus networks) to scale up dramatically​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. Written records enabled societies to store and standardize information across time and space, far beyond the capacity of oral memory. Early civilizations like Mesopotamia and Pharaonic Egypt, for example, used writing primarily for practical coordination – recording taxes, laws, censuses, and transactions – rather than for literature​keetabikeeda.in. These humble clay tablets and papyri were the backbone of complex kingdoms: by tracking grain stores, land ownership, debts, and edicts, they made it possible to manage cities and empires that dwarfed tribal communities.

Harari argues that bureaucracy is essentially an information network — a system of rules, lists, and protocols that connects people through written procedures. Documents created an “imagined order” that was concrete enough to obey: for instance, a land deed or a tax receipt is just ink on paper, but it represents a social agreement that thousands respect. This gave rise to what he metaphorically calls “paper tigers”: powerful bureaucratic systems that owe their strength (and weakness) to written paperwork​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. A “paper tiger” might appear invincible because it’s backed by official records and laws, yet if those records become irrelevant or the system cannot adapt, its power can evaporate quickly. Harari notes that the success of large states depended on how well their information systems coped with change​keetabikeeda.in. An empire with rigid, outdated rules (inflexible paperwork) could crumble when faced with new realities – much like a seemingly fearsome tiger that turns out to be made of paper.

Through historical anecdotes, Harari illustrates this principle. For example, standardized laws and currencies allowed the Persian Empire and Roman Empire to integrate diverse peoples; but when information flows broke down – say, due to corruption or rebellion – these vast networks could collapse. Cultural records like charters, chronicles, and later printing presses further extended networks by spreading shared knowledge and identity (for instance, printed Bibles fueling a common Christian culture across Europe). By highlighting documents and bureaucracy, Harari shows how information networks evolved from purely human-to-human webs (like oral stories) into human-to-document-to-human systems, vastly increasing range and durability. These developments tied directly into power structures: those who controlled written records (scribes, priests, officials) often held great authority, and rulers who mastered bureaucratic networking (like creating efficient administrations or legal codes) generally governed more effectively.

Misinformation, Mistakes, and Self-Correction

In “Errors: The Fantasy of Infallibility,” Harari confronts a central vulnerability of human networks: they are prone to error and deception​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. Because our networks rely on information – which, as noted, can be true or false – societies often fall victim to false beliefs, propaganda, or wishful thinking that spread through these networks. Harari provides historical examples where entire communities or nations were misled by their information systems. For instance, he discusses how the Catholic Church’s medieval dogmas went unchallenged for centuries, fostering an illusion of infallible truth, and how 20th-century totalitarian ideologies like Nazism and Stalinism constructed vast networks of people devoted to profoundly flawed or fabricated ideas​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. In these cases, millions cooperated under dangerous misinformation – with catastrophic results. This underscores a sobering point: networks built on lies can be extremely powerful, but they eventually collide with reality, often violently​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in.

Harari calls this human tendency to trust our information networks implicitly the “fantasy of infallibility.” Whether it’s religious leaders claiming absolute truth, political regimes insisting on perfect ideologies, or even scientists at times overestimating their theories, humans often assume their network’s information is error-proof​keetabikeeda.in. This overconfidence can lead to disaster when the world doesn’t match our stories – for example, economies have crashed and empires have fallen when leaders clung to false data or beliefs.

However, Harari also highlights the importance of self-correcting mechanisms in information networks​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. The ability to recognize and fix errors is what can save a society from its own misinformation. He notes that modern institutions like science and democracy have built-in correction systems: science uses experiments and peer review to challenge falsehoods, and healthy democracies have free presses and independent courts to expose lies or mistakes​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. These mechanisms act like antivirus programs in a network, preventing bad information from propagating unchecked. In contrast, systems that suppress criticism – such as authoritarian governments or dogmatic organizations – lack this corrective feedback and are more likely to spiral into error.

Harari’s examination of errors serves as a warning: the same networks that grant us power also carry the seeds of disinformation and delusion​keetabikeeda.in. Societies must therefore strive to keep their information networks honest and adaptable. This means encouraging truth-seeking and skepticism within our cultures – asking, as Harari suggests, “Whose interests are served by this information?”​moderndiplomacy.eu – to avoid being blindly led by those who manipulate narratives for power. It’s a delicate balance: we need shared beliefs to unite us, but we also need vigilance and critical thinking to prevent shared lies from leading us astray.

Networks, Power, and the Political Order

Throughout Part I, Harari connects the concept of information networks to power and politics. In “Decisions: A Brief History of Democracy and Totalitarianism,” he contrasts two broad models of organizing societies, each defined by how they handle information flow and decision-making​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in:

• Democratic networks are decentralized. They distribute information widely and allow many individuals a role in decision-making. Ideas, feedback, and criticisms circulate relatively freely (through free speech, elections, open debate). This bottom-up flow of information can make democracies chaotic or “messy,” but Harari argues it also makes them more resilient and responsive​keetabikeeda.in. Because no single node controls everything, democracies can process complex information from diverse sources and correct course when policies fail. Harari suggests that as societies grew larger and more complex, democratic approaches emerged as a way to handle the information overload that one person or clique couldn’t manage alone​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in.
• Totalitarian networks are centralized. In these systems, power concentrates in the hands of a ruler or elite who tightly control information – through censorship, propaganda, and surveillance. Decisions are top-down: a small authority makes choices for everyone, often silencing dissenting data or opinions. Harari notes that such regimes can appear extremely efficient and unified in the short term, since everyone is marching to the same drumbeat​keetabikeeda.in. However, by monopolizing information and suppressing feedback, totalitarian networks tend to become brittle and prone to huge errors​keetabikeeda.in. Because leaders hear only what they want to hear, they can miss reality until it’s too late. Harari points out that many totalitarian states eventually collapse under their own information blind spots, unable to adapt or admit mistakes (for example, the Soviet Union’s failure to reform in time, or dynasties that fell because court advisors told the ruler only flattery).

Harari uses this historical lens to show that the flow of information is a decisive factor in the fate of societies​keetabikeeda.in. A balanced, open network (like a democracy with free inquiry) can better survive upheavals, whereas a closed, controlled network can lead to stability in the short run but catastrophe later. This analysis ties back to his earlier points: power is not just about weapons or resources, but about controlling information networks. Kings, emperors, and modern autocrats alike have maintained power by controlling the narrative and the channels of communication. Conversely, when information flows freely and widely, power is spread out – which can empower the public but also makes governing more complex. Harari ultimately leans toward the view that, despite their chaos, distributed networks (democratic systems) are better suited to handle the complexity of large societies and the modern world​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in, precisely because they can incorporate more information and correct errors faster.

From Ancient Networks to Modern Challenges

By the end of Part I, Harari has shown that human networks – built on language, stories, and writing – have been the engine of history​keetabikeeda.in. They allowed us to accumulate knowledge, build institutions, conquer territories, and develop rich cultures. Every major leap – the rise of religions, kingdoms, trade systems, legal codes, scientific communities, democracies – can be seen as a transformation in how information is shared and who gets to access or control it. Harari’s perspective ties together culture, power, and information tightly: culture is essentially shared information (values, myths, skills) passed through networks; power often comes from mastering those networks, whether by inspiring people with a story or by managing records and communication.

However, Harari also uses Part I to foreshadow the predicament we face today. He notes that after 100,000 years of expanding our networks and increasing human power, we now find ourselves in a crisis of our own making​moderndiplomacy.eu. Our information networks have grown global and instantaneous – and yet we struggle with challenges like ecological collapse and technological disruption. Harari points out the irony that instead of using our unprecedented connectivity to unite against threats like climate change, we often double down on creating even more powerful technologies (e.g. AI) that could further destabilize society​moderndiplomacy.eu. This serves as a transition to later parts of the book: he hints that the very nature of information networks is changing in the modern era. Whereas all past networks were facilitated by human minds (even if aided by paper and printing presses), now non-human agents (algorithms and AI) are joining the network.

In Part I’s concluding insights, Harari stresses a cautious view: technology itself isn’t evil, but our ability to wisely govern it lags behind​moderndiplomacy.eu​moderndiplomacy.eu. Historically, each time we invented new information tools – from writing to the internet – it took time for social norms and institutions to adapt. With artificial intelligence rising, the stakes are higher than ever. Human networks could be augmented or undermined by AI, and Harari fears that if we aren’t careful, we might lose control of the very networks that made us powerful​moderndiplomacy.eu​moderndiplomacy.eu.

In summary, Part I of Nexus paints a sweeping picture of how human networks formed and evolved: from primitive storytelling circles to vast bureaucratic states and global cultures. Harari’s central message is that information networks are the lifeblood of civilization – they enabled humans to pool knowledge and cooperate in unprecedented scale, giving us dominion over the planet​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in. These networks intertwine with power (whoever shapes the narrative or controls the archives often rules) and with culture (our shared identity and values are network effects). Yet, Harari also reminds us that the potency of networks comes with vulnerabilities: myths can become delusions, and connectivity without wisdom can sow chaos. By understanding the past of human networks – how stories, scripts, and systems bound us together and sometimes broke apart – we gain insight into the challenges of the present. Harari sets the stage for the rest of Nexus by showing that the story of human history is, at its core, the story of the networks that unite us, for better and for worse​keetabikeeda.in.

Sources: Harari, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (Part I summary)​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in, DeEtta Jones (2024)​blog.deettajones.com​blog.deettajones.com, Rohit Suchak (2024)​keetabikeeda.in​keetabikeeda.in, Saba Sahar (2024)​moderndiplomacy.eu​moderndiplomacy.eu.