The state and market offered the people the one thing they couldn’t refuse and what they desired more than anything else in the entire world. To become an individual, to become whatever you want without having repercussions from what would be considered traditional or what the norm would be. When the state and market said they would provide you with food, shelter, education, health, welfare, and employment the tides of depending on one’s family shifted drastically. Many try to say that the market and state are the reasons for people to struggle, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, because the market is like the mother and father of the people, they couldn’t survive without it anymore. Everyone is an individual, and they are treated as such. You don’t pay for your neighbors’ taxes, and they don’t pay yours. Everyone is free to be whomever they wish to be, as long as it is within the lines of the law.
The role of historians is that to teach others from the pat and to help protect from any past mistakes that had occurred in the world. For whether it be an industrial incident or the rise of a tyrant ruler who cause the destruction of the people. I believe a historian is the best type of teacher because, those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. We are one’s who are going to help the world continue on the right path, and if people don’t believe the past it will certainly lead to the end of civilation.
Hi Chisum! Great post, I said largely the same thing in my own. I always thought individualism was a manifestation of American culture and was surprised to find out that it’s in fact the result of the state and market. One thing I’d like to know is which influenced it’s creation more? Harrari talked pretty evenly about how the state and market spawned the creation of the individual, so I doubt he really knows for more. I think to some extent western culture must have influenced the idea of the individual as countries such as Japan which has both a strong market and a strong state still live in more of a collectivist culture. However, I suppose the degradation of family is still just as prevalent in Japan as it is in other affluent countries.
I said a similar thing in my blog post in regards to the role of historians in the future of our society and our world. I like how you used Harari’s ideas to kind of supplement what you thought of the state and market and how they evolved. I find it interesting that the concept of state and market is as old as the industrial revolution because I generally associate those ideas with the more modern time. I really liked your post and thought you did a great job explaining both aspects of the prompt.
I really liked everything you said and I agree with you, I really liked how you said that historians are the best teachers. Also I fully agree with how you said that most people think that the state and the market are the reason for struggle and your ideas on how incorrect that is. Great post!
First of all, great title. Old meme, old flex but okay. I think you also brought up a lot of good points in your response. I kind of disagree with you about the being able to do whatever we want, because I think that there are obligations that we are expected to hold by our community. If we were able to do anything we wanted that would mean that we were in an anarchy government. But free market is being able to build yourself up and compete with the rest of america. But we also have restrictions and obligations as a community as a state. Like if your not a good parent the state has the authority to take away there children. But over all i think that you did a very good job on the article and I can see that you put forth good effort in the response. Well done and I hope that you have a good day.