Chapter 5 Online Commentary
The title of Chapter 5 is "Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa". So the main topic discussed here was the caste system in India, the unjust selection of individuals in China who could be selected for positions of civil service, and finally, slavery as it was in the Roman Empire. There was also the view of the patriarchal societies in these regions and more specifically in Athens, Sparta, and Greece. Basically, it boils down to women being subordinate to their male counterparts and restricted in their daily lives.
I have looked over my previous posts and had a habit of summarizing the chapters instead of just giving my opinion of the content. So I will try to change it up as such in this blog post. Bear with me.
As I have pondered the material, what stands out for me is the word "patriarch". In all of these societies, males dominated over women and children and it was just accepted. This was the way it had always been and would continue to be as far as the citizens were concerned.
In India, the caste system was used to separate individuals into classes that they were born into. The Brahmins were considered the top of the ladder and other groups followed beneath them. The Untouchables were considered to be the worst of the worst. What was more horrendous was that there wasn't much one could do. They were born into the caste level as their parents and grandparents before them and would remain at this point for their entire life. This system even would determine who you were allowed to marry and associate with. Hinduism was the religion that basically gave you a way to go up the ladder, by being reincarnated over many lifetimes until you made your way up. You basically lived a life of sacrifice for being in the caste level you were in which would somehow give you an edge into being reborn into the next level and so on. This system still holds true today, but not in so strict a fashion as in the past.
In China, males are definitely considered more worthy than the females, although there was an immense responsibility for males to gain access to become civil servants. This opportunity, however, was not available to everyone. Usually, the sons of the wealthy families had the means to promote the years of study needed to accomplish this task. If a poor citizen was fortunate enough to be sponsored by someone of wealth, then the opportunity could be theirs as well. Even though there was no caste system here, different occupations were seen as less than others and individuals were treated as if a cast system did exist.
What I had more of an issue with was the extreme way the slaves were treated, regardless of which area they were from. Sure, there were some masters who gave their slaves a better life, but regardless of it all, they were still under the control of someone else. Some were so brutally treated that they would form rebellions, like the Spartacus Rebellion, or commit suicide rather than go back to their masters. Women slaves were raped and forced to comply with the whims of their owners. No dignity in their lives whatsoever. This was a different time and, yes, it unfortunately existed, but the past is what it is. I am glad that slavery has been abolished and all people can move on to a better life. Just thinking that this type of treatment of human beings was ever considered okay among the masses is beyond reason.
I have looked over my previous posts and had a habit of summarizing the chapters instead of just giving my opinion of the content. So I will try to change it up as such in this blog post. Bear with me.
As I have pondered the material, what stands out for me is the word "patriarch". In all of these societies, males dominated over women and children and it was just accepted. This was the way it had always been and would continue to be as far as the citizens were concerned.
In India, the caste system was used to separate individuals into classes that they were born into. The Brahmins were considered the top of the ladder and other groups followed beneath them. The Untouchables were considered to be the worst of the worst. What was more horrendous was that there wasn't much one could do. They were born into the caste level as their parents and grandparents before them and would remain at this point for their entire life. This system even would determine who you were allowed to marry and associate with. Hinduism was the religion that basically gave you a way to go up the ladder, by being reincarnated over many lifetimes until you made your way up. You basically lived a life of sacrifice for being in the caste level you were in which would somehow give you an edge into being reborn into the next level and so on. This system still holds true today, but not in so strict a fashion as in the past.
In China, males are definitely considered more worthy than the females, although there was an immense responsibility for males to gain access to become civil servants. This opportunity, however, was not available to everyone. Usually, the sons of the wealthy families had the means to promote the years of study needed to accomplish this task. If a poor citizen was fortunate enough to be sponsored by someone of wealth, then the opportunity could be theirs as well. Even though there was no caste system here, different occupations were seen as less than others and individuals were treated as if a cast system did exist.
What I had more of an issue with was the extreme way the slaves were treated, regardless of which area they were from. Sure, there were some masters who gave their slaves a better life, but regardless of it all, they were still under the control of someone else. Some were so brutally treated that they would form rebellions, like the Spartacus Rebellion, or commit suicide rather than go back to their masters. Women slaves were raped and forced to comply with the whims of their owners. No dignity in their lives whatsoever. This was a different time and, yes, it unfortunately existed, but the past is what it is. I am glad that slavery has been abolished and all people can move on to a better life. Just thinking that this type of treatment of human beings was ever considered okay among the masses is beyond reason.
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