Biology is so neat! I love animals. You should check out the velvet worm and social structures. Just fascinating that complex (and evidence suggests even more complex) social behavior arises from a ridiculously different neutral structure and evolutionary lineage. As for philosophy, may I point you to egalitarianism as the ultimate balance with the fact that mitochondria symbiosis may have started with predation. The host cell failed to digest it (maybe), and mitochondria, like your gut biome, was like, “yeah, this is chill, too.”

Me trying to take a dump

Oo, good point. Hierarchy is everywhere in nature, obviously. I was referencing manipulating status.

Virtue signaling is a very interesting primate trait. From lying about where you were last night to wearing clothing in the first place, manipulating your status is uniquely human. If dolphins or octopuses made a civilization, this would be unlikely to emerge.