昨日のつづき。わたしたちの年代になって考古学や人類学の解明が目覚ましく進展し、かつてないほど「人類史」的な視点を容易に持てる時代になったと感じる。
　個人的に興味深いのはこうした人類史的視点を獲得したことで、若い頃に囚われていた政治的「階級闘争」的な歴史観から大きく解き放たれてきたことだ。わたしの青春期「革命」という言葉は、そのまま左翼的活動や政治運動のイメージと直結した。しかし今、私の中でその概念はまったく異なる相貌を見せ始めている。
　人間を真に規定した人類史上の最大の「超革命」とは、階級闘争という政治動乱などではなく、足下に存在する「直立二足歩行」の獲得であったという平明な事実を突き付けられている。
　現在、四百年を超えるわたしの家系の足跡を記しながら、なぜ「家族」という概念が人類共通の普遍的な意識として存在するのかと思いを巡らせることがある。
　上の１枚目の写真の通り、二足歩行によって自由になった両手は、赤ん坊を抱きかかえ、食物を運搬することを可能にした。そして２枚目の写真のように、自由になったそれぞれの両手を使って「家族のもとへ食料を持ち帰る」という行動様式が定着した。ここから人類の大原則である「一夫一婦制」が根拠を持ち、世代を超えて命のバトンを渡していく共通の感受性（家族意識）が育まれていったと想起できる。
　もちろん、その後に形成された社会システムの中で、支配・被支配の葛藤や争闘が生じたのは歴史の必然。しかし、そうしたあらゆる社会課題と向き合う上でも「直立二足歩行以来の原点」に立ち返る視座こそが極めて重要と思える。直立歩行とそこから始まった地球上への大拡散（グレートジャーニー）こそが、現生人類を根本から規定する最大の動釈なのだと思いが至る。

　さらに興味深い知見。人類は陸生動物なのに他の「次元」〜水中なども生活領域化させることに成功してきた、とされる。それは「別次元」への生活能力をもたらしたのだろう。水中動物に主要なタンパク源を見出して長く伝統化させてきた日本列島社会は、その意味では「先端的」なのかも知れない。また、さらなる別次元・宇宙空間にも挑戦は続いていくのでしょう。
　・・・ということで、遅ればせながら人生の最終局面に至って、超オモシロい解明テーマが湧き上がってきて、困惑させられています（笑）。

●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
お求めはAmazonで。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇
　
[Bipedalism as a Historic “Super-Revolution” for Humanity]
The fact that bipedalism marked the beginning of every great revolution is the starting point of human history. Perhaps we can visualize the future from this starting point? …

　Continuing from yesterday. I feel that, as we’ve reached our generation, remarkable progress has been made in archaeology and anthropology, and we now live in an era where it’s easier than ever to adopt a “human history” perspective.
　What I find personally fascinating is that, by gaining this perspective on human history, I have been greatly liberated from the political, “class struggle”-oriented view of history that held me captive in my youth. During my adolescence, the word “revolution” was directly linked in my mind to images of leftist activism and political movements. But now, that concept is beginning to take on a completely different form within me.
　I am confronted with the plain fact that the greatest “super-revolution” in human history—the one that truly defined humanity—was not political upheaval such as class struggle, but rather the acquisition of “bipedalism” right at our feet.
　Currently, as I document the history of my family lineage spanning over four hundred years, I sometimes find myself pondering why the concept of “family” exists as a universal consciousness shared by all of humanity.
　As shown in the first photo above, the hands freed by bipedalism made it possible to hold infants and carry food. And as seen in the second photo, a behavioral pattern of “bringing food back to the family” using these newly freed hands became established. From this, we can surmise that “monogamy”—a fundamental principle of humanity—found its basis here, and a shared sensibility (family consciousness) for passing the baton of life across generations was nurtured.
　Of course, it was an historical inevitability that conflicts and struggles between the dominant and the dominated arose within the social systems that formed subsequently. However, I believe that when confronting all such social challenges, it is crucial to adopt a perspective that returns to “the origins of upright bipedalism.” I have come to realize that upright walking and the Great Journey—the vast dispersal across the Earth that began with it—are the most significant driving forces that fundamentally define modern humans.

　Here’s another fascinating insight. It is said that although humans are land-dwelling animals, we have succeeded in expanding our living environments to include other “dimensions”—such as underwater. This has likely granted us the ability to live in “alternate dimensions.” In that sense, the societies of the Japanese archipelago—which have long identified aquatic animals as a primary source of protein and established this as a tradition—may be considered “cutting-edge.” Furthermore, I imagine our challenges will continue to extend into yet another dimension: outer space.
　…And so, belatedly, as I reach the final stage of my life, an incredibly fascinating topic for exploration has surfaced, leaving me somewhat bewildered (laughs).

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　

Posted on 8月 24th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類