Inequalities in Classical Societies
The perception that man is a social creature is widely accepted throughout the world. It is assumed that man cannot live without others of his kind. However, within these social settings, there are differences which arise between individuals. These differences come about due to a number of factors. It also has to be noted that these differences are not a recent invention. Rather, they originated from man’s ancient history during the classical societies. In order to look at this issue more effectively, there is the need to know what social inequalities are. Inequality refers to a situation where certain groups within a given society do not share equal class, status or circle. This is envisaged in various areas of life such as the freedom of speech, voting rights, healthcare, education, transportation, housing, and the right to own property among many more. All these factors see to it that some people in societies are not given what they deserve. For this reason, there is the need to look at the philosophical, religious, and cultural causes of such inequalities. In order to be more effective at this, this paper will look at three major classical societies: ancient Rome, China and India, as well as gender inequality.
Ancient Rome was one of man’s oldest civilizations. The Roman Empire spread throughout Europe and was aiming to extend its boundaries to the rest of the world. In as much as it was developed, it cannot be denied that there was a lot of inequalities and discrimination in the empire. The main form of inequalities was gender based where women were seen as the weaker gender or second rate humans. Class discrimination was also visible where people from the lower social classes were treated as slaves and had to serve the high and mighty in the society.
Philosophical ideologies were the major cause of these inequalities. These ideologies stated that women should remain under their husbands’ authority. As such, they were not supposed to participate in any major decision making in the empire. For instance, women could not vote or even take a political position. This was seen as solely a dispensation of their men. Similarly, the women did not hold any direct position of power, even in their families. If they needed anything, they had to liaise with their men who could negotiate for them. As a matter of fact, there is very little mention of the ancient Roman women, apart from exceptional ones such as Claudia Quinta and Lucretia.
Economic differences also served as a major cause of the discrimination. This is the reason as to why those from the lower steps of the social ladder could not sit with the rich or the royalty. They were treated as slaves and had to serve the loyalty royalty at a reduced or no fee at all. The ideological ideas had it that he people at the lower social ladder did not have any means of production. Therefore, they had to work for those who had much. In the long run, they produced quiet a lot but all this was taken by the rich. The poor only made away with enough for their sustenance. The gap between rich and poor continued widening.
Ideological thoughts in the ancient China were also responsible for the gender discrimination in ancient China. The women did not have a voice in any aspect of their lives. The young girls did not have a choice as to whom they wanted to get married to. However, after marriage, they would have to go and live in submission to their husbands. Similarly, they would have to be submissive to their mothers-in-law. Furthermore, the boy-child was highly favored over the girl-child. The women did not have a chance to air out their views. The ideal woman was described as one who could do all her duties, make her husband happy, and bear any cruelties against her. This strict patriarchal society had a lot of shortcomings for the women. They did not have any platform on which to air out their views. Rather, they just had to wait and humbly accept what nature brought their way. This was quiet a disadvantage to them.
The Indian subcontinent is also another populous region in the world. It is found in the Asian continent and is quite populous. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that there is inequality in the country as well. In this case, the major cause of the disparities, among others, is religious. Economic differences also account for discrimination but these are as a result of the classes provided for by the religious discrimination.
There is the caste system supported by Hinduism that exists in ancient India which was also embodied in the culture of the people. This system divides people into various groups depending on their level of income and position in the society. The caste starts with the Brahmins or priests at the highest order and trickles down to the servants. The highest class was the Brahmins who were the priests. They were seen as next to the gods. Kshatriyas who were the warriors and rulers were second in rank, followed by the Vaisyas who were the skilled laborers and minor officials. The Sudras or unkilled workers were second lowest in rank, only higher than the Pariahs or Harijans who were the untouchables. The class that an individual lies in determines the people they interact with and their economic abilities among other social indicators. Based on this evidence, it is clear that religion can act as a cause of the discrimination.
In conclusion, the information above relates to the class, gender, and inequalities. The focus has been laid on three classical societies namely ancient Rome, India and China. Evidence has it that the major causes of discrimination include philosophical ideologies, culture as well as religious reasons. Ideological differences were the main cause of the social class discrimination in the ancient Roman Empire where the rich and the poor could not come together. This also brought about economic partialities. Religious backgrounds are responsible for the social class differences in the Indian setting since it put forth the caste system. On the other hand, philosophical and ideological ideas led to the gender discrimination of women in ancient China. This is a clear indication of how these factors led to inequalities in the classical societies.
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