That's an intriguing, plausible account. I suppose Marx said something similar. I talk about the rise of civilization and some more general, dubious social relationships in other articles. But perhaps you're right that this is the mother con that shows up in the two I go through. Perhaps a follow-up article is in order.

By any chance, are there specific sources that back up your reading of the battle between the early elites and the masses? It's plausible, but is there evidence that this account is true?

https://medium.com/history-of-yesterday/from-prehistoric-naivety-to-hypermodern-alienation-66ed747e23e?source=friends_link&sk=ae65d072a64206bb514c2f497f238e7c

https://medium.com/@benjamincain8/some-basics-of-cynical-sociology-fc714ea98b6?source=friends_link&sk=c07effa72090d168b57fb90de9dc70d2

http://rantswithintheundeadgod.blogspot.ca/2014/05/domestication-and-modern-personhood.html