The start of civilization has agricultural revolution roots. Once people could have more than enough to eat and produce surplus, hierarchies started to emerge.
This created competitive attitude in the population and changes are the result of it. The author argues that “was a fundamental motor of change, and especially in
areas where rich agricultural land was limited.” In this we can see how societies according where they live would change based on their experiences. The limitation of land and their geographical location creates innovation, that would differentiate communities from each other. These differences created advantages for each community, some of them were considered winners and others losers. In a war we have winners and losers (personally I think there are not winners), so the community that loses will migrate to other are or stay in their territory but will become the lower class. An the leaders of the winner side would become “ Successful leaders of the winning side emerged as an elite.” This is a very interesting concept because even now we have the same perception in our society between rich and poor people. We think that because they are poor people, they are losers and the rich people are winners.
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| Odysseus and Penelope by Francesco Primaticcio (1563) |
Another thing that got my attention was the difference between Persian Empire and Greek States. While the Persian centered on to have a literally “Great king” or “cult of kingship.” Where you could not even direct to the king as equal because he was unapproachable, and it did not matter if he was wrong what ever the King said was law. In the other hand we have the Greek (more relaxed society) their organization was different and was basically “City-States” each of them were independent and competitive to each other. Of course this type of organization created more fighting between neighbors but nothing that they could not handle. The Greek were the ones that used for the first time the word “citizenship” base on participation and freedom to be part of “governments affair.”
In China, the organization of the society started with the problem of “disorder in the house” to make thinkers to find way to resolve this problem. One was Confucian that believe society base on morality is the solution, to have a “social harmony.” This would start in the family and the hierarchies between the components of it. So if you have a good family, you will have good morals and this will make good citizen. No need of law and punishment. In India we have the caste system, which is based according of how “good your karma” is, this will give you a hierarchy in the society. So whatever you did in your past life will reflected in this life. If you were bad your life will be miserable in the future.
There is one more thing that got my attention and is this quote from a greek write talking about women “Teaching a women to read and write? What a terrible thing to do! like feeding a vile snake on more poison.” So you are not teaching women to do this because you do not trust them, but you have kids with her and is the one in charge of your house and take care of you, when you are defenseless. So is not worth to educate them but they obviously are the most important part of your life. This just does not make sense.
Sources:
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2014.
