The desire for a society of their own kind is a common feature of all the inhabitants of our planet - from microorganisms to Homo Sapiens. By becoming a member of a collective, an individual inevitably loses a certain amount of freedom and independence. How is the conflict between the interests of the individual and society resolved, and what are the relationships between social harmony and social conflict? These are the questions that this book addresses. The unconscious cooperation of molecules of organic matter was embodied in the first glimpses of life on Earth. Billions of years have passed, and fantastically complex “superorganisms” have appeared on the planet - giant communities of termites and ants, amazingly effective in their collective creative activity. From the last chapter, the reader will learn how human sociality differs from other manifestations of cooperation that permeate the entire living world - from interactions between cells in the bodies of living beings to all sorts of forms of collectivism among our relatives - primates. The book is intended for a wide range of readers - from high school students to all those who are interested in the secrets of wild nature and the laws governing the life of human society. The book was published with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant No. 0104-62 060 and the Institute of Ecological Problems and evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences.