Competition in its recognizably modern form only recently became the foundational organizational system for civilization, and civilization “won” because (in part) a) it generally has no problem deploying incredible levels of violence and coercion, against people and the environment, and b) it promotes continuous population increase, even beyond what may be sustainable.
There’s about a million places to source this, but I might start with something like James C. Scott.
There’s about a million places to source this, but I might start with something like James C. Scott.