I would say having a Baron is more civilized than having a popularity contest. I bet the latter is how things around the stone age camp-fire where worked out.
My post was not meant as an endorsement of that lifestyle, nor as a condemnation; I was mainly trying to point out that it existed and was quite different from most stratified post-Neolithic social systems. Honestly, we don’t know enough about what the average Paleolithic social structure looked like to advocate effectively for it, even if we wanted to.
Honestly, we don’t know enough about what the average Paleolithic social structure looked like to advocate effectively for it, even if we wanted to.
I agree with this. Even modern examples of tribes with tech not far above that level aren’t representative due to marginal terrain and interaction with other groups.
Also, modern paleolithic societies might be different from early paleolithic societies due to change over time—it would surprise me if there wasn’t gradual improvement in their tools, and there would also be random cultural changes.
It is near-impossible to compare the space of all possible human “barons” with the space of all possible human “popularity contests” and decide which one is more “civilized” across multiple criteria.
I would say having a Baron is more civilized than having a popularity contest. I bet the latter is how things around the stone age camp-fire where worked out.
You know what it’s like living with popularity contests Have you lived with a Baron?
My post was not meant as an endorsement of that lifestyle, nor as a condemnation; I was mainly trying to point out that it existed and was quite different from most stratified post-Neolithic social systems. Honestly, we don’t know enough about what the average Paleolithic social structure looked like to advocate effectively for it, even if we wanted to.
I agree with this. Even modern examples of tribes with tech not far above that level aren’t representative due to marginal terrain and interaction with other groups.
Also, modern paleolithic societies might be different from early paleolithic societies due to change over time—it would surprise me if there wasn’t gradual improvement in their tools, and there would also be random cultural changes.
It is near-impossible to compare the space of all possible human “barons” with the space of all possible human “popularity contests” and decide which one is more “civilized” across multiple criteria.
Apply this argument to the politics of suffering Konkvistador talked about.