Ancient society

Introduction

Thebook"AncientSociety"includes1preface,4maintexts,andatotalof26chapters.Thebookthoroughlyandsystematicallystudiesthedevelopmentprocessofmankindfromtheageofignorancethroughtheageofbarbarismtotheageofcivilization,andsuccessivelyexplorestheintellectualdevelopment,thedevelopmentofpoliticalconcepts,thedevelopmentoffamilyconcepts,andthedevelopmentofpropertyconceptsembodiedinvariousinventionsanddiscoveries..Thefirstpartof"IntellectualDevelopmentReflectedbyVariousInventionsandDiscoveries"consistsofthreechapters.Itdivideshistoryintothreeeras,namelyignorance,barbarism,andcivilization,anddividesthefirsttwoerasintoTherearethreestages:low,intermediate,andhigh.Thehistoryafterclasssocietybelongstotheeraofcivilization.Thesecondpartof"TheDevelopmentofPoliticalIdeas"consistsof15chapters.Morganexpoundsthecorepartofhisprimitivesocialtheory-theorganizationalstructureandbasiccharacteristicsoftheclan.Thethirdpart"TheDevelopmentofFamilyConcept"consistsof6chapters,startingfromthestudyofthekinshipsystemofvariousethnicgroups,discussingthehistoryofhumanmarriageandfamilydevelopment,andproposingthefamilyevolutiontheoryfromhybridgroupmarriagetomonogamy.Thefourthpart"TheDevelopmentofPropertyConcept"consistsof2chapters,whichisthesummaryofthewholebook.Ittracesthedevelopmentandchangesofpropertyrelationsinvariousstagesofprimitivesocietyuntilclasssociety,andclarifiesthattherearetwotypesofpropertyownershipinhistory,namelypublicownershipandprivateownership,andthetransformationfromtheformertothelatter.

Catalogueofworks

Translator'sForewordThedevelopmentofthesecondseriesofpoliticalconceptsThethirdseriesofthedevelopmentoffamilyconceptsPartIVDevelopmentoftheConceptofPropertyMorgan'sBiographyChapterOneSocialOrganizationBasedonSexChapterOneAncientFamilyChapterOneThreeMethodsofInheritancePrefaceChapterTwoTheClansoftheRoquesChapterTwoBloodMarriageFamilyChapterTwoThreeInheritanceLaws(Continued)Part1TheintellectualdevelopmentembodiedinvariousinventionsanddiscoveriesThirdChapterIroquois’ClanFamilyChapterIIIMarriageFamilyFamilyComparisonTableofTranslatedNamesChapterOneSeveralDevelopmentStagesofHumanCultureChapterFourIroquoisTribesChapter4EvenMarriageFamilyandPatriarchalFamilyChapter2SurvivalTechnologyChapter5IroquoisAllianceChapter5MonogamousFamilytd>Chapter3TheproportionofhumandevelopmentprogressPartChapter6ClansintheOtherTribesoftheCanovannianFamilyChapterVIOrderofFamily-RelatedInstitutionsChapterSevenAztecAllianceAppendixChapter8ClansoftheGreeksChapter9TheClan,Tribe,andNationoftheGreeksChapterTenTheEstablishmentofGreekPoliticalSociety第ChapterElevenTheClanoftheRomansChapter12RomanCuria,Tribes,andNationChapter13TheEstablishmentofRomanPoliticalSocietyChapter14LineageThetransitionfromfemaletomalelineChapter15ClansinOtherTribesofHumanity

CreateBackground

TimeBackground

WiththedevelopmentoftheUnitedStates,intheeraofMorgan’slife,moreandmoreinformationaboutAmericanIndiansappeared,butthestudyofIndiansHowever,ithasnotattractedpeople'sattention.PeoplehaveamysteriousattitudetowardsIndians,butontheotherhandtheyhaveadiscriminatoryattitude.However,thelivingconditionsoftheIndiansandtheirsocialorganizationareofgreatscientificresearchvalue,andtheyurgentlyneedpeopletodevelopandresearch.Atthesametime,theconditionofprimitivesocietyhasalwaysbeenanissuethatpeopleareconcernedabout.EspeciallyafterDarwin'stheoryofevolutionwasputforward,theearlyconditionsofmankindhavebecomeasubjectthatneedstobestudiedcarefully.Inthe1960sand1970s,anthropologistssuchasRenan,Lubbock,andFoyinsuccessivelypublishedtheworksofanthropologistssuchasRenan,Lubbock,andFoyne.Theymadeaseriesofdescriptionsoftheconditionsofprimitivesociety,butthesedescriptionslackedsolidhistoricaldata.Thefoundationhasalargeimaginaryelementofacivilizedsociety.Underthiscircumstance,itisveryimportanttomakefulluseofthematerialsofIndianstostudyprimitivesociety,andMorgantookadvantageofthisfavorableconditiontovigorouslystudythesocialorganizationandlivingconditionsoftheIndians,andwrote"Ancient"Society"isaworkofanthropology,sociology,andthehistoryofprimitivesociety.

Opportunityforcreation

Morganbegantoorganizetheinformationhecollectedinthelatesummerof1862.Throughanalysisandresearch,hewrotehissecondimportantbook,"TheHumanFamilyTheSystemofRelatives.HispurposeofwritingthisbookwasoriginallyintendedtosolvetheproblemoftheoriginofIndians,buthegotanunexpectedharvest,thatis,toexplorethemarriagesystemandkinshipofprimitivesociety,thusdiscoveringtheprinciplesofearlyhumansocialorganizationanditsuniversality.Thelawofdevelopment.Morganhassinceexpandedhishorizons.HisresearchisnolongerlimitedtoIndians,buttotheprimitivesocietyofmankindasawhole.MorganmovedfromRochestertoMichiganin1862anddevotedmostofhisenergytohisscientificresearch.Soonafterthepublicationofthebook"TheKinshipSystemoftheHumanFamily",MorgantookhisfamilyonatriptoEurope.Afterthat,inadditiontowritingsomepapers,heconcentratedonwritinghis"AncientSociety"."AncientSociety"wasfirstprintedbyHenryHoltPublishingCompanyoftheUnitedStatesin1877.

Thoughtsofthework

Thefirstpart

"Theintellectualdevelopmentembodiedinvariousinventionsanddiscoveries"isthefirstpartof"AncientSociety".Morganmainlydiscussedthestagesofhumandevelopmentandthemaincontributionsofearlyhumansurvivaltechnologyresearchindifferentstagesofhumandevelopment.Throughtheslowaccumulationofexperienceandknowledge,humanbeingscangraduallyrisefromanignorantsocietytoacivilizedsociety.Thethreesocialstatesofmankind'signorance,barbarismandcivilizationareconnectedwitheachotherinaninevitableandnaturalorderofadvancement.Thisprocessofhumanlifestateisinseparablefromaseriesofinventionsanddiscoveriesthathaveoccurredthroughouttheentireprocessofhumanprogress.Ifpeoplereversethevariousinventionsanddiscoveriesontheonehandandthevarioussystemsintheorderoftheirappearanceontheotherhand,theywillseethatinventionsanddiscoveriesarealwaysaprocessofprogressivedevelopment,whilevarioussystemsareTheprocessofcontinuousexpansion.Ontheroadofhumanprogress,inventionsanddiscoverieshaveemergedoneafteranother,becomingasignofsuccessivestagesofprogress.Humanculturecanbedividedintothreestages:ignorance,barbarism,andcivilizedsociety.Eachstagerepresentsadifferentsocialstate.Amongthem,theobscurantstageandthebarbaricstagecanbedividedintotheearlystage,themiddlestageandthelatestagerespectively.Atdifferentstagesofdevelopment,thedifferentsurvivalandproductiontechnologiesthathumanbeingshaveobtainedmarkthedifferentstagesofhumandevelopmentontheonehand,andontheotherhand,theyhavealsobecomethebasisforhighertechnologies.Thecontinuousdevelopmentofthesedifferenttechnologiesisthedevelopmentprocessofhumanhistory.AccordingtoMorgan’sdiscussion,earlyhumansurvivalandproductiontechnologiesweremainlycollection,fishhunting,planting,breeding,agriculture,etc.,andhumanfoodcorrespondingtonaturalfood,fishfood,starchfood,meatfood,obtainedthroughagricultureUnlimitedfood.Afterstudyingthepathofhumandevelopment,itcanbefoundthattheprogressofhumandevelopmentisadvancingingeometricproportions.Aftereachpieceofaccurateknowledgeisacquired,itbecomesadrivingforceforfurtheracquisitionofnewknowledge,whichhasbeenadvancedtotheintricatemodernknowledge.Ancientcivilizationisthefoundationofmoderncivilization,andmoderncivilizationisthedevelopmentofancientcivilization.Thiskindofrelationshipbetweenthemcanbeseenmoreclearlyifthemainhumansystems,inventions,anddiscoveriesarepushedupintheorderoftheirappearance.Allinall,humanhistoryisacontinuousdevelopmentprocess,anobjectivematerialprocess.

Thesecondpart

"TheDevelopmentofPoliticalConcepts"isthesecondpartofthebook.Morganmainlydiscussedthesocialorganizationformoftheprimitivesocietyofmankind,specificallydescribedthedevelopmentandevolutionprocessoftheclan,tribe,andtribeoftheprimitivesocietyofmankind,andrevealedtheessentialcharacteristicsofprimitivesociety.Inthelatterpartofthesavagephaseandthroughoutthebarbaricphase,humansaregenerallyorganizedaccordingtoclans,patriots,andtribes.Throughouttheancientworld,theseorganizationswerepopulareverywhere,onallcontinents.Theywerethemeansbywhichancientsocietieswerebuiltandunited.Thestructureoftheseorganizationsandtheirinterrelationshipsaspartofaseriesoforganisms,aswellastherights,privileges,andobligationsofmembersofclans,patriarchs,andtribes,areallexamplesthatillustratethedevelopmentofpoliticalideasinhumanthought.Thevarioussystemsofmankindoriginatedinignorantsociety,developedinbarbaricsociety,andmaturedincivilizedsociety.Theprogressivesequenceofprimitivesocialorganizationsis:clans,patriarchs,tribesandtribalalliances.Clanisthebasicunitofprimitivesocietycombinedbyblood.Aclanisagroupcomposedofmembershandeddownfromacommonancestor.Thisgrouphasaspecialnametodistinguishitfromotherclans.ItistheoldestandOneofthemostpopularsystems;atribeisasocialorganizationformedbytwoormoreclansofthesameclanforacommonpurpose;atribeisasocialorganizationcomposedoftwoormoreclanswhospeakthesamedialect;Thetribalallianceisasocialorganizationbasedonthesameclanandcommonlanguage.Itisthehighestformoftheclansystem.

Thefirstclansinhumansocietyarematrilinealclans.Atthisstage,womenhaveextremelyhighauthorityintheclans.Theydeterminethemajoreventsoftheclansandareinadominantpositioninproductionandlife.ThedescendantsfollowMotherlife.Withthedevelopmentandchangeofhumanproductionmethods,theaccumulationoflargeamountsofpropertyispermanent.Withtheincreasingproportionofprivateproperty,thepowerofpropertyinheritancehasgraduallychangedtheformofprimitivesocialorganization.Thematrilinealclangraduallydisintegratedandbecamethepatrilinealclan.Replaced.Theestablishmentofthepatrilinealclanmarkedtheemergenceofprivateownershipandthetransitionfromprimitivesocietytoclasssociety.Whenprivatepropertydevelopedtoacertainextent,humanshadclassandclassantagonisms,sohumanbeingssaidgoodbyetoprimitivesocietyandenteredcivilizedsociety..Whenthedevelopmentofsocietyapproachescivilization,theoldclansystemcannolongermeettheneedsofsociety.Theconceptofthecountrybasedonterritoryandpropertygraduallyreplacedtheclansystem.Thestatearisesdirectlyandmainlyfromtheclassantagonismdevelopedwithintheclansociety,anditisaninevitablesubstitutefortheclansystem.Thisisbecausetheclansystemcannotprotectandpromotethedevelopmentofprivateproperty,butonlythestatecanprotectandpromotethedevelopmentofprivateproperty.Theclansystemcannotprotectclassandclassexploitation,whilethestateisanimportanttooltoprotectclassandclassexploitation.Inthispart,Morgan,inordertobeabletoexplainindetailtheorganizationaldevelopmentandprogressoftheprimitivesocietyofmankind,hediscussedthedevelopmentofprimitivesocietiesintheAmericancontinentingreatdetail.TheprimitivedevelopmentoftheGreeksandtheancientBritishtribes,Slavs,Asians,etc.weredescribedindetail,whichprovedthathumanlifehadgonethroughthestageofclandevelopment,andthatthedevelopmentofhumanpoliticalconceptswasderivedfromtheclanofprimitivesociety.Sociallydeveloped.

Thethirdpart

"TheDevelopmentofFamilyConcept"isthethirdpartofthebook.Thischapterstudiesthedifferentstagesofhumanfamilydevelopmentfromthekinshipsystemandmarriagehabits,tracesthesuccessiveformsoffamilyhistoryexperienced,anddiscussesthehistoricallawsoffamilydevelopment.Aftergoingthroughvariousformsofsuccession,thefamilysystemhasproducedseveralimportantkinshipsystemsthatstillexist.Thesekinshipsystemsrecordedthekinshipwithinthefamilyatthattimeduringtheirrespectiveformationperiods,andthuscontainedrecordsofhumanexperiencethatweresufficienttoexplainthefamily’stransitionfrombloodmarriagetomonogamy.Anykindofkinshipsystemisalwaysaccompaniedbyacertainfamilyform.Inthehistoryofmankind,therearefamilynamesfirstandthenrelatives.Thekinshipsystemnaturallyarisesasthesocietydevelopsfromalow-levelstatetoahigh-levelstate.Everychangeinthekinshipsystemmarkstheemergenceofasystemthathasaprofoundimpactonthesocialsystem.Thestudyofkinshiptermscanhelppeoplerevealthevariousaspectsofmankind.Thefamilyforminthehistoricaldevelopmentstageoutlinesthedevelopmentofthehumanfamily.Thefamilyisanorganizationalforminwhichthetwosexesofmankindlivetogetherthatchangeswithhistory.

FourthPart

"TheDevelopmentofPropertyConcept"isthefourthpartofthebook.Morganintroducedthedevelopmentprocessoftheconceptofhumanproperty.Theconceptofpropertyhasalsoundergoneaprocessofemergenceanddevelopmentsimilartothedevelopmentstageofhumanculture.Peopleusepropertytorepresenttheaccumulatedmeansoflifeanddesiretopossessit.ThisiscompletelyabsentintheMadonna,butithasbecomethemaindesiretodominatetheheartsofcivilizedracesfromscratch.Theconceptofpropertyisgraduallyformedinthehumanmind,andithasbeenintheinitialweakstateforalongtime.Itsproutedintheignorantstageofmankind,anditneedsalltheexperienceofthisstageandthesubsequentbarbaricstagetopromoteitandpreparethehumanmindinordertoacceptthedominanceofthisconcept.Withthecontinuousaccumulationofhumanproperty,mankindhasgraduallydevelopedadesireforpossessionofproperty.Whenthedesireforpropertyhasbecometheprimarydesireandrequirementofmankind,theconceptofhumanpropertyhasalsobecomeamajorconcept.Weenteredthecivilizederaandestablishedapoliticalsocietybasedonpropertyandregion.Theearliestconceptofpropertyiscloselyrelatedtotheacquisitionofsurvivalmaterials,whichisabasicneed.Ineachsuccessiveculturalstage,theitemsthathumanshavewillincreasewiththeincreaseinthetechnologyonwhichtheirlifestyledepends.Eachstageofculturaldevelopmentappearstobemuchmoreadvancedthanthepreviousstage,notonlyinthenumberofinventions,butalsointhetypesandquantitiesofpropertyresultingfrominventions.Theincreaseinthetypesofpropertywillinevitablypromotethedevelopmentofcertainrulesregardingitsownershipandinheritancerights.Thehabitsonwhichtheselawsofpossessionandinheritancearebasedaredeterminedandrestrictedbythestatusandprogressofthesocialorganization.Theseveralculturalstagesofhumanprogressarecloselyrelatedtotheprogressofthesocialistsociety.

Influenceofworks

"AncientSociety"openedupanewfieldofprimitivesocialhistoryresearch,andpushedhuman'sviewofancientsocietytoanewstage.Beforethepublicationofthebook,itwasgenerallybelievedthatinprimitivesocietiesitwasalsoapatriarchalsocialstructure,andprivateownershipwasbornwithmankind.Thisconceptisbynomeansjustinthewritingoftheapologistsofprivateownership,becausethereisnohistoricalbasistoprovewhethertherehaseverbeenanon-patriarchalsocialstageinhumanhistory.Thepublicationof"AncientSociety"completelycorrectedpeople'slong-standingmisconceptions.Itfullyprovedwithabundanthistoricaldatathattheprimitivesocietyofmankindwasaclansocietyofmatriarchyintheearlystage,whichonlydevelopedlater.Itbecameapatriarchalsocietyandenteredacivilizederacharacterizedbyprivateownership.MorganfullyprovedtheMarxistdoctrineofthelawofthedevelopmentofhumanhistoryinhisbook.Beforethepublicationofthebook,thehistoricalmaterialismcreatedbyMarxandEngelshasnotbeentestedintheearlyhistoryofhumansociety.Therefore,somepeoplethinkthatthesocialandhistoricallawsofMarxismarelimitedtoexplainingspecificsocialandhistoricalstages.Theuniversallawaboutthehistoryofhumansociety.Morgan’sbook,throughthedescriptionandanalysisofhumanlifeinprimitivesociety,fullyprovesthatundertheconditionsofprimitivesociety,thedevelopmentofhumansocietyalsofollowsthebasiclawsofhistoricalmaterialism.Becauseofthis,thisbookhasbeenhighlyvaluedandpraisedbyMarxandEngels.Inhislateryears,MarxspentalotofenergyreadingMorgan’s"AncientSociety"andwrotenearly300pagesofreadingnotes..EngelswrotethebrilliantMarxistwork"TheOriginofFamily,PrivateOwnership,andtheState"basedonMorgan's"AncientSociety".

Evaluationofworks

GermanphilosopherFriedrichEngels:Intermsofdiscussingtheprimitiveconditionsofsociety,thereisnowabookthatisasdecisiveasDarwin’stheoryforbiology.Ofcourse,thisbookwasalsodiscoveredbyMarx.ThisisMorgan's"AncientSociety"(1877edition)....MorganindependentlyrediscoveredMarx'smaterialistviewofhistoryinhisownfieldofresearch,andfinallyputforwardthedirectcommunistrequirementsofmodernsociety.”

Abouttheauthor

LouisHenryMorgan(1818~1881),Britishanthropologistandsociologist.BorninavillagenearAurora,USAOnthefarm.Morganparticipatedinaliteraryinstitutioncomposedofafewradical-mindedinvitations.Soon,theliterarysocietywastransformedintoasocietyforthestudyofIndians.Morganbecameanactivememberofthisgroup,andhevisitedmanytimes.Indiansettlements,observetheirlifestyles,inquireabouttheirhabits,andstudytheirorganization.In1847,theywereadoptedbytheSenecaEagleclanamongtheIroquoisasamember.Morganmovedtolivein1844Rochester.After1856,hebegantoexploretheoriginoftheIndiansandtheirkinshipsystem.Morganwasinpoorhealthinhislateryears,buthestilltookashorttriptoColoradoandNewMexicointhesummerof1878.VisitedsomeIndianvillages.MorganenjoyedareputationinAmericanacademiainhislateryears.HeobtainedanhonorarydegreeinlawfromtheUnionCollegein1873andwasthefirstmemberoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesin1875.HehasactivelyparticipatedinthepromotionofscienceintheUnitedStatesformanyyears.Hewasthechairmanoftheassociationin1880.MorgansufferedfromsevereneurastheniaforalongtimeanddiedonDecember17,1881attheageof63.Morgan’smainworksare"IroquoisLeague"and"AncientSociety"etc.