Allegory of Justice punishing Injustice – Jean-Marc Nattier (Wikicommons). Initially, economic and social activity was organized among closely related individuals, a limitation that kept societies from realizing their full potential as they grew larger. Northwest Europeans and East Asians overcame this limitation through behavioral and mental changes.
I
have published an article on "the large society problem in Northwest
Europe and East Asia." Comments are welcome.
Abstract
Kinship
was the organizing principle of early societies, defining how people should
behave toward each other. Social and economic activity was thus organized
mostly among closely related individuals, a limitation that would keep
societies from realizing their full potential as they grew larger. The
"large society problem" has not been fully solved anywhere, but Northwest
Europeans and East Asians have gone the farthest toward a solution. In general,
the solution has been to weaken the relative importance of kinship and
strengthen forms of sociality that can include everyone, and not just close
kin. In particular, one must think and feel in certain ways, i.e., be
susceptible to social norms that are absolute, universal, and independent of
kinship; feel guilty after breaking social norms; feel empathy for non-kin; and
orient oneself toward society. This mindset shows similarities and differences
between Northwest Europeans and East Asians. Both groups adapted to a larger
social environment by becoming more empathetic toward non-kin and more
susceptible to universal social norms. Northwest Europeans became more
individualistic while acquiring stronger internal controls of behavior
(affective empathy, guilt proneness). East Asians became more collectivistic
while acquiring stronger internal controls (cognitive empathy) and stronger
external controls (shaming, family-community surveillance, inculcation of
normative behavior).
Reference
Frost,
P. (2020). The large society problem in Northwest Europe and East Asia. Advances in Anthropology 10(3): 214-134.
