Monopolisation of knowledge, social inequality and egalitarianism

Abstract

It is argued in this article that we should search not for the origin or roots of social inequality, but rather for factors that might have caused a specific form or type of social inequality to develop and for mechanisms which might have shaped specific structural features of hierarchical systems. Also examined are the factors underlying the development of egalitarian social systems. Egalitarianism is as much a product of specific evolutionary processes as is the development of the various forms of social inequality. Different mechanisms of structuring hierarchical systems may act in parallel in the same society, or could be specific to particular cultures in particular periods. The foundations of hierarchical systems may lie in the sphere of material production, but also in other social realms, including the control of beliefs. The monopolisation of special knowledge and occupations (frequently connected with ideology) by certain social groups can be a powerful force that shaped and still shapes social ...