Please don't take this question the wrong way, I am just trying to learn and get the opinions of more people on this subject. I find it interesting.

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
    ·
    1 day ago

    The stages of development are just how our history has unfolded, they're not prescriptive. A different trajectory is hypothetically possible.

    • jermaphobe@lemmygrad.ml
      hexagon
      ·
      1 day ago

      It makes sense to me that some form of forced labor would be necessary since it is the simplest way to organize labor. But yeah, I suppose different ways to organize labor could have formed instead, although it seems unlikely to me.

      • happybadger [he/him]
        ·
        1 day ago

        The Inca empire didn't have slavery, but they conquered and developed large amounts of territory even without literacy. They just exchanged rations of necessities for a set amount of labour per year. People had their needs met and Infrastructure Week went smoothly.

      • UlyssesT [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        Slavery is a very old method of production that had a resurgence a few centuries ago.

        It's more of a regressive economic movement than a new development, then and now.

        It was not inevitable; the ruling class exploited socioeconomic conditions in Africa and exported enslaved laborers to colonies in the Americas accordingly.

        • jermaphobe@lemmygrad.ml
          hexagon
          ·
          1 day ago

          I was referring to slavery as a necessary step during antiquity only, more recent slavery I don't believe to have been inevitable at all.

          • UlyssesT [he/him]
            ·
            1 day ago

            The "terrible swift sword" that forced hunter-gatherers into the wheat fields was maybe necessary for economy of scale early agriculture, yeah.

      • multitotal@lemmygrad.ml
        ·
        1 day ago

        since it is the simplest way to organize labor

        Is it though? Wouldn't it be easier to organise labour if the people you're organising are cooperative?

        • jermaphobe@lemmygrad.ml
          hexagon
          ·
          1 day ago

          maybe it isn't, the more questions I ask the more I realize that I don't actually know very much about this.

          • keepcarrot [she/her]
            ·
            22 hours ago

            In a manner of speaking slavery is very simple if you're heavily armed and surrounded by people who do not want to do what you want to.