Money
To Harari, money is symbolic of humanity's willingness to give tremendous value and weight to inanimate objects. Throughout the book, Harari compares money to a religion; he shows how humans gave money so much value that some humans worship it and seek to get more of it at all costs.
Government
Government is symbolic of humanity's need for law and order and a rules-based life. Without rules and law and order, there would anarchy and humans would not be nearly as successful as they have been over their history. They would be listless and chaotic, two things that humans hate.
Violence
Violence, and particularly the violence humans act out against animals, is a significant motif in the book. Throughout the book, Harari describes humans brutalizing animals to underscore the violent ways humans became the most dominant species on the earth. Like all organisms, humans use violence like a tool.
Human progress
Throughout the book, readers are frequently reminded how far humans have progressed from amoeba to sentient creatures who rule the planet. By doing this, Harari shows readers how significant the development of homo sapiens was on the world and the sheer profundity of their development.
