Why not talk, for a moment, about a topic, seldom broached in general terms but ubiquitous nonetheless, it seems to me; hard to wrap your head around: differentiations, and then separations, gradually, over a long period of time, separations and further distinctions and sub separations, call them specializations, of various aspects, all really one way or another, of dimensions, crafts, technical skills, institutions, callings, academic fields, learned professions, social and exact sciences, realms, sectors, confessions, games, studies, etc., within societies.
What might be implications of this immensely long and complicated development?
Would it be fair to say that these developments, call them evolutionary (or revolutionary, if you like) differentiations of all societies' institutions, (some of course much sooner in history than very late developing others) themselves engendered yet further differentiations?
That seems to me to have been the case.
Notions of what was considered, by primitive societies, sacred, as distinguished from what was considered secular, seem to have developed early in the dawn of civilizations.
Originally, a priest king had presided over all realms of activity within society including war.
The distinction, within kingship, between a king and a military commander is a rather late development. Kings, and their military commanders, tended to be, or at least to become in the case of nonnoble commanders, aristocrats, who also, until very recent times, also customarily often wore priestly crowns.
The Romans had hereditary aristocratic families, who also served priestly functions, as well as military ones, long after the monarchic era. Similarly for Europe, until very recent times.
Would it be fair to say that these developments, call them evolutionary (or revolutionary, if you like) differentiations of all societies' institutions, (some of course much sooner in history than very late developing others) themselves engendered yet further differentiations?
That seems to me to have been the case.
Notions of what was considered, by primitive societies, sacred, as distinguished from what was considered secular, seem to have developed early in the dawn of civilizations.
Originally, a priest king had presided over all realms of activity within society including war.
The distinction, within kingship, between a king and a military commander is a rather late development. Kings, and their military commanders, tended to be, or at least to become in the case of nonnoble commanders, aristocrats, who also, until very recent times, also customarily often wore priestly crowns.
The Romans had hereditary aristocratic families, who also served priestly functions, as well as military ones, long after the monarchic era. Similarly for Europe, until very recent times.
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