Chapter 5

In chapter 5, we delve into some of the less than great social patterns that began to emerge from the early civilizations. Now we are not talking exact form of government or use of natural resources, but instead about class and social inequality. These small societies and civilizations grew both in population and power, different class and caste systems arose. All of them had and still have one most basic of premises, that military power, material wealth: grain, or gold, defines the system's.
In China a system of rigid and cruel feudalism began to take shape.However with the unique influences of Legalism and Daoism, the class system, and its implementation was a more unique form. As the separate dynasties themselves actually supported  “wood work” institutional class control, through academies for the children of officials. These elite were born into the highest possible class and then educated on how to stay within it. A form of intellectual choke point if you will. This ruling class also made up a large portion of the landlord class, as land meant wealth during that era. These landowners were able to make massive profit on the back of a peasant (quasi-slave) workforce. Another emerging class at this time, were the merchants of China. Vastly rich men, who were treated very poorly by the various dynasties for hundreds of years. This is because the merchants were seens as opportunistic, lazy vultures, profiting off others work. Which was an ironic insult coming from the ruling-landlord class.
Another class-caste system chapter 5 illuminated for us, was the severity and size of the slave class in the Roman empire. Many nations and cultures practiced slavery, during and after the roman empire, yet few civilizations are better known for their use of “free workers.” In truth the massive Roman slave market was created out of need. In truth the empire was expanding so fast and massively that the prisoners of war and captured people from the frontier brought a constant flow of slaves into the empire. Meaning that these poor souls were not only cheap but expendable. In fact most “middle class/stable working class” families had more than 4+ slaves themselves. The slaves however were not of one race or people, but of the many peoples that were slowly being conquered by Rome. These slaves were subject to horrible treatment, including sexual slavery, back breaking labor and even being sent into the Colosseum to die for the sake of entertainment.
In truth through this chapter, the idea that some form of social inequality will invariably arise with a society is a given. Whether that inequality be based on material, power or military might, the inequality exists. The difference is how much those in power manipulate and try to control those under their thumb. The best part of this intellectual debate is that we are still having it as a species. In very recent history we as a world society have started to reject many of the ideals that allow inequality to fly out of control, into institutions like slavery, patriarchy, and  segregation.

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