The Human Drift

"The Human Drift" by Jack London is a philosophical treatise that reflects on human migration and survival, likely written in the early 20th century. The work explores the historical patterns of human movement driven by the primal need for sustenance, touching on themes of civilization's rise and fall while critiquing the destructive nature of humanity. The opening of the book establishes a narrative framework that examines the instinctual drives behind human migration, comparing these movements to that of animals in search of food. London emphasizes that migration has been a defining characteristic of human evolution and societal development, resulting in the conquest and displacement of weaker groups. He outlines various historical migrations, illustrating that the quest for food and survival underlies much of humanity's violent history. The passage vividly portrays the struggle for existence and suggests that such patterns persist in modern society, hinting at the recurring cycles of population growth and societal conflict that define human history. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

John Griffith Chaney, better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. He was also an innovator in the genre that would later become known as science fiction.