For those arguing how democracy is pointless system which has no representation is animal kingdom a book ""“>HoneyBee Democracy by Thomas Dyer Seeley; a Cornell University professor provides a perfect counterargument. It turns out that one of the most admired animal species on planet earth does indeed apply democratic decision making for certain operations of its colony such as when seeking for a new hive headquarters.


The Author stumbles upon this discovery as a part of scientific research for PhD as someone who dedicated a good part of his life and academic career to these fascinating creatures. Moreover, the type of democracy which bees apply to the process of finding a new home for their swarm resembles direct democracy – a type of original Greek democracy which was later substituted with representative democracy system now found in most modern societies. This includes various forms of participation which we advocate at VelEx Politics such as collective fact checking, debate and consensus. It seems as if bees themselves recognize the importance of collective wisdom and that humans have still so much to learn from them.

While this book may be too scientific for wider audience as the authors takes one on a journey of scientific research and methodology, it is written in a easily readable language understandable to general public. A unique blend of behavioral sociology, politics and zoology may seem contradictory at first but it quickly turns these branches are way more interconnected than previously thought. So the next time you enjoy a spoon of fresh honey remember it was produced by a democratic bee owned corporation 🙂


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