Features and characteristic features of despotism. ancient eastern despotism. despotism is

Is it possible to get rid of despotism?

The tendency to tyranny will not disappear on its own. And the less the despot receives rebuff from the outside, the stronger his belief in his own superiority and infallibility will take root.

You can correct your despotic character with the help of psychotherapy and medical treatment. The correction plan depends on the severity of the pathology. During psychotherapy, it is necessary to determine the root of the problem, work through the psychological trauma, and develop the correct methods of self-affirmation.

Despots build relationships with people who have a victim mentality. Their relationship is dependent. In psychology this is called the Karpman triangle. Thus, psychotherapy sessions are indicated for all participants in the relationship. Without a change in thinking, the victim will find a new tyrant or return the relationship to its previous course.

How does a despot act?

Despots usually act very subtly. The mechanism of influence on a person is something like this: at first, the despot will be a harmless little buffoon, ready to do anything. He will give a sea of ​​attention and compliments. Over time, a person gets used to admiration for himself, and then the despot begins to act, namely, to criticize. After the first criticism, a person does everything possible to improve. But then the criticism becomes much greater, and the victim’s desire to correct the situation increases in proportion to it. As a result, an idea is discovered that can easily control the consciousness of another person.

Also, it is important to note that a despot will appropriate all achievements for himself, and blame failures on his partner, and it is useless to appeal to an adequate perception of reality

Who is a despot?

A despot is a person who does not recognize that others are right and achieves his goals through pressure and violence. He does not need evidence or arguments; he believes that he is right in any situation. Even in relationships with the closest and dearest people, he constantly resorts to violence, humiliation, revenge, mental pressure, gaslighting (what is this?) and other aggressive methods of influence.

X The only thing about despotism is that it is almost always directed at people whom the despot considers dear and important to himself. He himself often does not notice how cruel he can be.

A despot is a tyrant who imposes his will on others through force, influence and power. A boss can be a despot, but it is much worse when one of the family members turns out to be one. Psychology considers the theory that despotism is a natural human instinct that awakens under a certain set of circumstances. According to this theory, the desire to rule is present in each of us, but it manifests itself to varying degrees in everyone.

Psychologists identify three main components of despotism:

• complete indifference to other people's feelings and opinions;
• the desire to completely control another person;
• the requirement of complete and constant self-obedience.

Despotism is capable of destroying any relationship, since a despot strives to completely deprive a partner of all rights, but allows himself almost everything. This happens in both love and friendship relationships.

Eastern despotism and its main features

TEST

ON THE HISTORY OF THE STATE AND THE LAW OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES

OPTION 2

Task 1. Fill out the table using the Laws of the XII tables

Task 2. Eastern despotism and its main features.

In all countries of the Ancient East, similar historical processes took place. In various parts of the world, relatively small villages turned into populous fortified cities in a fairly short time. The transition from primitiveness to civilization was accompanied by the development of irrigation agriculture. The creation and maintenance of irrigation systems required the organization of collective labor of a large number of people, the efforts of the entire country as a whole. These works could not be carried out without a rigid organization, without a strong centralized government.

As a result, in all ancient eastern civilizations a special form of state developed - despotism.

Despotia – translated from Greek – “unlimited power”; form of autocratic power. In different civilizations it could have some differences, but its essence was the same: at the head of the state was a ruler who had full power and was considered the owner of all the land. This type of power was realized through an extensive administrative system, that is, an apparatus of officials that covered the entire country. Officials not only collected taxes from the population, but also organized joint agricultural work, construction, and monitored the condition of canals. They recruited for military campaigns and carried out trials.

Such a state structure was very durable and stable: even when large empires fell apart, each of them reproduced despotism in miniature.

A feature of Eastern societies was their strict hierarchy: each social layer occupied its own, clearly defined place and differed from others in its social significance, as well as responsibilities, rights and privileges.

For example, clothing depended on rank, and the consumption of wealth depended on the amount of remuneration based on the rank of nobility. No matter how wise and noble a man was, he did not dare to wear clothes that did not correspond to his rank; and no matter how much wealth he owned, he did not dare to enjoy benefits for which the usual wealth of a person of his rank would not be enough.1

A large apparatus of officials occupied a high position in society, so learning was beneficial.

Merchants were supported by the state, which was interested in the supply of foreign and rare goods. Trade maintained economic connections between regions.

Warriors constituted a separate category of the population. While serving in the standing army, they received supplies from the state. After successful campaigns, in addition to the captured trophies, the warriors received land and slaves. In peacetime, they were often involved in hard work - for example, in Egypt, soldiers worked in quarries.

The artisans were quite numerous, most of them lived in cities, but there were also those who worked in the workshops of temples, the king and the nobility under the whip of overseers.

And the bulk of society were free community members-peasants. All members of the community were bound by mutual responsibility - this meant mutual assistance and responsibility for crimes committed by members of the community.

Slavery existed in ancient Eastern civilizations. Slaves were part of a large patriarchal family, which is why this type of slavery is usually called domestic slavery. Prisoners of war mostly became slaves, but there was a possibility of debt slavery, which, however, was not necessarily lifelong: after working off his debt, the slave became free again.

Society in ancient civilizations is often depicted as a pyramid. At the top is the king, then a layer of nobility (priests, aristocracy), everyone else is below, depending on the degree of nobility.

In eastern despotisms, the struggle for power and participation in government was carried out primarily by the privileged strata, while the bulk of the population did not have access to power. In the East, unlike Greece and Rome, no special political bodies were created through which society could influence the state and be legally involved in its activities.

The most important processes that took place in the countries of the Ancient East were the formation of statehood and the emergence of urban civilization.

In Ancient Egypt it was believed that relations between people in the state were built on the basis of “maat”2, that is, on the basis of divine justice and order, truth. Gods and kings affirm it: thanks to laws, chaos and disharmony are overcome. In one of the ancient Egyptian teachings in honor of justice, the following words of praise are uttered: “Great is justice and its excellence is unshakable.” Another teaching, written on behalf of one of the kings of Egypt, says that the king must take care of all his subjects, and not just the nobles, for all people are “the flock of God,” “the likenesses of his flesh.”

So, everywhere, in all civilizations, the concepts of “law” and “justice” were identified, and the tasks of legislators corresponded to what seemed to be the highest manifestation of humanism.

The laws created in ancient civilizations have a number of common features. And the first thing that strikes a modern person is the difference in punishments depending on the social status of the criminal.

If someone damages the eye of a free man, he must also damage his own eye. If he hurts the eye of someone's slave or breaks a bone of someone's slave, he must pay half of its value.3

Laws regulated relations between people, made them responsible for their actions, and inspired them that they had rights, even minimal ones, the implementation of which could be demanded. Individual rights were especially consistently protected in the laws of Hammurabi.

Thus, the level of civilization of society gradually began to form. Of course, this level was still quite low. The concept of justice did not have at all the meaning that modern people put into it. The differences in the status of social classes were incredibly great. But let’s not forget that this was only the first step in mankind’s long journey to understanding that the state should reflect the interests of everyone equally, and attempts to implement such a principle.

Task 3. During the French bourgeois revolution, a law was passed limiting the political rights of workers. What law are we talking about? List the main provisions of this law and explain why its adoption was justified at that time.

In 1789, a revolutionary situation was created in France. Peasants, ruined by feudal duties and taxes and especially by the poor harvest of 1788, flocked in droves to the cities, where they swelled the ranks of the poor. The high cost made the situation of the urban lower classes extremely difficult. The budget deficit threatened the state with bankruptcy.

The decisive moment in the development of events was the uprising of the working masses of Paris on July 14, 1789, which was the beginning of the revolution. It strengthened the position of the national assembly, which began to call itself constituent - Constituante - and actually transferred power into the hands of the big bourgeoisie.1

At the first stage of the revolution (from July 14, 1789 to August 10, 1792), the bourgeoisie, represented by the constitutionalists (in the constituent assembly - the “center” party), compromises with the nobility and preserves the monarchy. The views of this party were reflected in the first constitutional documents of France: the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” of 1789 and the Constitution of 1791. In these documents, the constituent assembly spoke in the interests of the bourgeoisie as a whole and even on behalf of the entire people.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was approved on August 26, 1789. It reflected the ideas of natural law, which were then a theoretical weapon in the struggle of all oppressed classes against the feudal system. The declaration formulated a number of democratic and humanistic principles. The proclamation of freedom and equality (we were talking, of course, only about political equality and equality before the law) as natural and inalienable human rights (Article 1) was directed against despotism and the class system.1

In Art. 2 declarations proclaim the natural and inalienable rights of man and citizen: freedom, property, security and resistance to oppression. But the French big bourgeoisie did not dare to follow the example of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in 1776 and proclaim the right of the people to revolt. Freedom is defined in the declaration as the ability to do everything that does not harm another. The boundaries for mutual use of it can only be determined by law (Article 4). Free expression of thoughts orally and in writing - “the most precious of human rights” - and freedom of conscience are proclaimed in Art. 10 and Art. eleven.

The declaration proclaims the principle of legality, directed against the arbitrariness that reigned under absolutism. The law prohibits actions harmful to society. “Whatever is not prohibited by the law is permitted, and no one can be forced to do anything not prescribed by the law” (v. 5). The definition of law shows the influence of Rousseau. Law is defined as “the expression of the general will” (Article 6). Although in a bourgeois state the law does not express the general will of the people, Rousseau's very idea was democratic and progressive. The same article requires equality of all before the law, both in cases where it protects and when it punishes.

From the idea of ​​law as an expression of the general will, it follows that all citizens have the right to participate personally or through their representatives in its creation, that all citizens should have equal access to all positions, places and services in accordance with their abilities and without any restrictions. or other differences other than those determined by their abilities and virtues. This progressive democratic idea, also expressed in article one, was immediately abandoned by the bourgeoisie in the constitution of 1791, establishing qualified suffrage.

In Art. 8 expresses the idea of ​​the French enlighteners and one of the leading theorists of criminal law of that time, the Italian Beccaria. The law can establish punishments only that are strictly and indisputably necessary; no one can be punished except by virtue of the law duly applied and promulgated before the commission of the crime. Art. Art. 5 and 8, containing the principle “nulum crimen, NULLA poena sine lege”, according to which only an action qualified as such in the law is considered criminal, and punishments must be imposed in strict accordance with the law. In addition, it states that the law does not have retroactive effect. The principles proclaimed in Art. are also progressive in nature. Art. 7 and 9 and later formed the basis of criminal proceedings: the inviolability of the person and the inadmissibility of prosecution, detention and imprisonment except in cases provided for by law and in compliance with the forms prescribed by law. In Art. Article 9 proclaims the presumption of innocence of the defendant in criminal proceedings. These provisions were aimed against arbitrary arrests and the inquisitorial process, in which every accused was already considered guilty before the case was examined. The declaration formulated new democratic principles of government, which essentially denied the legality of an absolute monarchy. Yes, Art. 3 read: “The source of sovereignty lies essentially in the nation. No corporation, no individual can wield power that does not clearly emanate from this source.” Article 15 established that officials are obliged to report on their activities. In Art. 16 Montesquieu's idea of ​​the need for separation of powers is expressed in the following form: “A society in which the enjoyment of rights is not ensured and the separation of powers is not carried out does not have a constitution.” The theory of separation of powers, even in the moderate form in which it was developed by Montesquieu, became a weapon of ideological struggle against absolutism, since the combination of legislative, judicial and executive powers in one body or person favored arbitrariness and despotism. Finally, the declaration requires the distribution of taxes according to the status of each, with the participation of all citizens personally or through their representatives in deciding the issue of state taxation.

The aggressor and his victim

In childhood, all events and human actions are perceived by a person from the point of view of polar meanings “bad” or “good”. When faced with a traumatic situation, a child always identifies his personality with one of the parties, taking on the role of “victim” or “tormentor”, and in the future already adheres to this state, recognized by the psyche as “comfortable”.

Growing up, the “victim” will strive to connect with his missing part of his personality - more confident, powerful, able to fight back. Thus, seeing before her an example of who she herself would like to be, she will experience the illusion of “processing” an unpleasant event experienced in childhood, but will not actually deviate from her role.

In turn, the “tormentor” will not be able to live without the projection of his prevailing capabilities. He needs to receive constant confirmation of his strength, impunity, ability to control and suppress. At the same time, the “victim” is not assigned a secondary role, because in her ability to suffer, show generosity, and forgive, the aggressor finds the missing elements of his own, flawed personality.

How to communicate with a despot

Despotism is dangerous. It is worth considering the situation of tyranny in the family:

1. Children cannot satisfy their natural need for activity.
2. The wife is afraid to stand up for them.
3. The spouse and children are constantly subjected to unfounded attacks.
4. Over time, all family members are destroyed as individuals.

You need to deal with such a person carefully. No matter how sad it may sound, you need to be silent and leave

If there were acts of violence or cruelty, report them to the police. The despot does not understand logic. His answer to everything will be rude and short.

However, living by the principle “it’s our fault, but dad is always right” is also wrong. It is necessary to recognize the problem, call a spade a spade, and unite with children and other family members. And then either leave, or endure, but not indulge.

In order not to aggravate the situation, if a person is despotic, it is recommended:

• avoid criticism, especially public criticism;
• restrain emotions;
• do not blame the tyrant and do not point out his shortcomings and mistakes;
• avoid generalizations like “you ruined our whole life”;
• do not make retaliatory demands, reproaches, or threats.

How does despotism manifest itself?

The most common form of despotism is family despotism. It usually manifests itself in the form of physical abuse or psychological abuse. One of the partners tries to completely subjugate the other, putting pressure on him by any means available to him. A despotic person completely ignores other people's desires, rights, freedoms and boundaries of personal space. He perceives all family members as property, but he himself believes that he loves them.

As a rule, a despot is a very touchy and vindictive person who perceives his behavior as a way of restoring justice. Through his actions, he tries to punish the offending family member, and this helps him look better in his own eyes. Also, such behavior allows him to increase his own self-esteem and restore damaged self-esteem.

A despot always strives to subjugate those around him and force them to act according to his orders. Despite this, he does not know how to be a leader at all. Due to his aggressive position, he can force others to obey him, but cannot inspire respect in them. In addition, he is not able to resolve conflict situations; instead, he himself constantly provokes conflicts. Such behavior leads to the fact that over time the despot causes only fear, hostility and complete misunderstanding in those around him.

Definition of the word in explanatory dictionaries

The sacred meaning of words is not hidden at all, and it is quite possible to find out the meaning of each. To do this, people turn to similar articles or scratch the pages of textbooks. New words enrich a person’s stock of knowledge and give him intelligence. They also allow guys to show off their knowledge in an unfamiliar company or for guys in front of a girl.

But enough background, it’s time to find out the meaning of the word in explanatory dictionaries. For a better understanding, all definitions have been simplified and reduced to enthymemes.

• Historical Dictionary. Despotism is a form of government characterized by authoritarianism, but the power of the despot is not limited by law. Power is transmitted through hereditary connections, a similar form of governance in nature for states that in ancient times were located in the east.
• Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language. This is the power of violence and arbitrariness; people are constantly kept in fear of the despot. Power is determined by religious or other dogmas. The despot is the only one who makes decisions in the state, however, realizing that he cannot rule alone, he takes into account the interests of his entourage.
• Historical dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian language. Despotism is the unlimited power of one person who personally decides key issues, but relies on the opinions of the people he needs. The power of a despot can be shaken due to a lack of despotism, just as cunning people perish from a lack of cunning.
• Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. This is a state that is solely controlled by a dictator (despot). He does not rely on laws, and if necessary, he invents them himself. The power of such a person is not limited by anything except the need to maintain the power itself. The despot retains his throne thanks to a complex bureaucratic system devoted to him. This form of governance was predominantly manifested in the East.
• Synonym dictionary. The unlimited power of one person, which is supported by the local elite and religious dogmas. A characteristic feature of this form of government is the completeness of power in one hand.

Perhaps we won’t touch on the rest of the dictionaries, because the descriptions in them are repeated several times, only the wording changes.

Traits of despotism

In a society with a broken perception of violence and personal boundaries, despotism can be perceived as a manifestation of character, and a person will even be respected for this. The first and most characteristic sign of despotism is the use of violence as the norm of behavior and the only possible way to regulate relations. Despots do not know how to ask, negotiate or find compromises. If the partner’s behavior does not correspond to the desires of the despot, various types of violence can be used. Although at first the despot, demonstrating his dissatisfaction, may give another the opportunity to correct his mistake, but if this does not happen immediately, he will immediately face punishment. It is also worth noting that despots often put forward very strange demands, in which discontent may be caused by what others consider to be the norm.

More about despotism

As we learned, despotism is a special form of government when all power is vested in the monarch. Such power is not regulated in any way, and there are no laws for a despot. He himself decides the destinies of people and is the supreme ruler, priest, manager, and so on.

Its governance is based on bureaucracy and military resources. It is worth noting that power in the countries of the post-Soviet space practically exists on this. All states have a large administrative apparatus and a high concentration of law enforcement officers per 100 thousand people.

Message from Alexis de Tocqueville

I am a demigod

Despotism is believed to consist in the manifestation of unfavorable characteristics of the ego. As a result, this can lead to a loss of rational control over one’s behavior, and all actions will become subordinated exclusively to the affective sphere.

Autocratic behavior cannot stop on its own. The less resistance is offered to the despot, the more he will consider himself a demigod and will begin to demand the impossible as a matter of course.

There are no people who have not at least once turned into despots in order to achieve what they want from those around them, but if this becomes a stable line of behavior, then the person definitely needs specialist advice. After all, the main signs of mental disorders are considered to be uncontrolled violence, inadequate demands and assessment of reality.

Ancient Eastern despotism

The most striking form of despotism is the rule of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. If other despots built relatively insignificant structures in their honor, the pharaohs forced them to erect massive temples and build tombs in the form of pyramids.

In its form, despotism appears to be a theocratic monarchy, where the word of a single ruler is literally a phrase torn from the lips of God. Of course, managing the state required a powerful and extensive administrative apparatus.

Social strata were felt very strongly, and the correlation between the poor and the rich was clearly visible. For example, in India, society was divided into castes. A lower-ranking woman could not marry a man of higher rank. The army was used to restrain people, it suppressed uprisings and established order in troubled provinces.

Let's consider the concept of “ancient eastern despotism”

The concept of eastern despotism comes from Herodotus, the father of history. He described a situation where rulers not only closed temples, large and small, but also forced the people to build huge, majestic tombs and tombs for themselves.

The concept of ancient Eastern despotism had certain features. Thus, the head of state, the arbiter of justice and the personification of universal law was the despot ruler. He was worshiped, he was deified, he was hated and feared. The form of government was, naturally, monarchical, and power was inherited. But the despot could not rule without relying on a powerful, ramified administrative apparatus. It was necessary in order to effectively manage a diverse society in which various strata had already formed, not to mention the emerging property inequality. In addition, already in ancient times, the society of the East took shape and acquired those features that can be traced even today. For example, it was differentiated, and each social layer not only had its place in the hierarchy, but also differed in its organization, rights and responsibilities. It was on such a foundation that the beginnings of despotism in the Ancient East could take shape and bloom wildly.

Features of Eastern despotism in the development of ancient states

One can say without exaggeration, all states of the Ancient East passed through despotism as a form of government in their development. This is Babylon, a state located in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,

China, India, India, Urartu, ancient Iran (Persia). The history of the formation and development of these countries had a number of specific features that contributed to the concentration of political, military and, often, religious power in an unlimited form in the hands of one person. The ruler became a despot - the sole owner of the state (despotos - in Greek “owner”, “lord”, despoteia - “unlimited power”).

Signs that distinguish eastern despotism:

• Heredity of power, monarchy. • Unlimited power, the ruler concentrates in his hands all functions and powers, including legislative, executive, judicial, and military. • Consolidation of the state around the center. • Excessive number of officials, bloated administrative apparatus. • Land property is owned and controlled by the ruler. • Deification of the ruler, religious power is concentrated in his hands.

The phenomenon of the emergence of Eastern despotism is associated with the natural and climatic conditions in which the states of the East existed. The territories of these countries were located in arid, desert or mountainous areas with insufficient rainfall. Agriculture in these zones was based on artificial irrigation. Droughts, fires, dust storms

constantly threatened the population of these countries with famine. Therefore, maintaining human life required the creation of permanent supplies of food and seed materials, the construction and maintenance of large irrigation systems.

Irrigation farming and the formation of public reserves required the participation of a large number of people and, accordingly, created a structure of managers capable of organizing and controlling such work. Private farmers or individual communities did not have the opportunity to fully exist in those harsh natural conditions. To survive, people had to unite and obey.

Thus, the life of society in the ancient states of the East was built on the principles of collectivism.

Public tasks and state goals prevailed here over personal interests. The individual was subject to strict state control, which extended to all manifestations of human life: work, family, culture, and the social sphere. A person was deprived of the right to freedom: spiritual, economic, political, sometimes physical, as well as to express individuality. An important and significant manifestation of Eastern despotism for people of that time, without a doubt, was religion. Religion legitimized the unlimited power of a despotic ruler. He could be declared the incarnation of god on earth, his representative or viceroy, as happened in Ancient Egypt, Assyria or the Sumerian state. His power was often reinforced by religious teachings, such as those of the Brahmins in India. In China, the ruler acted as the “son of heaven.” The divine origin of the despot explained to people his possession of unlimited power and its transfer by inheritance within a single dynasty.

The foundation of the political structure of eastern despotism were officials who ensured the functioning of the state's power apparatus. An important role was played by the army, as well as representatives of religion (priests, brahmins). The military bureaucracy, subordinate directly to the ruler, controlled economic development and protection of communities. Thus, power acquired strict centralization, and society acquired a clear hierarchical structure.

Ancient Eastern despotism was carried out through several main spheres of government: military, financial and public works management.

So, the main socio-political signs of eastern despotism were:

• Concentration of power, its concentration in the person of a single ruler - a despot (monarch, pharaoh). • Centralization of power and the formation of a complex hierarchical structure of society. • Bureaucratic apparatus supported by the military. • Subordination of society to religion, sacralization of power and ruler. • Preservation of the communal system.

The communal organization firmly connected the states of the Ancient East with the despotic monarchy, as the only form of government capable of maintaining the existence of these states in that period of time. For hundreds of years, communities ensured the sustainability of despotic rule by filling the state treasury with taxes and rents. Thus, eastern despotism was determined by the development and specifics of the social structure of that time. The despotism format had the opportunity to rally the forces of the population to achieve the most important goals: organizing irrigated agriculture and building irrigation systems, as well as defense against enemies and waging wars of conquest. At the same time, Eastern despotism prevented the formation of individuality and the formation of a free personality, which determined the specifics of the further development of the states of the East.

Signs of despotism

A despot is distinguished by his inability to defend his point of view with arguments. He tries to impose his will by force. How does this manifest itself:

• revenge;
• aggression;
• humiliation;
• physical, sexual and psychological violence;
• threats;
• blackmail;
• reproaches;
• criticism;
• inadequate demands on others;
• anger in response to disagreement or alternative opinion.

He shifts responsibility for his mistakes and failures onto other people. And he attributes the merits, including those of others, to himself.

In family relationships, he cuts off the victim’s contacts with other people, does not let her out of the house, deprives her of finances, and controls all aspects of life. A tyrant tries to suppress a person’s personality, lower his self-esteem, and deprive him of his self-esteem.

Such a person does not know how to cooperate or respect other people. The features of despotism appear already by the age of three years of a child’s life. But such inclinations can form later. This does not depend on gender and age. It’s all due to heredity and the individual’s personal experience.

§ 2. Civilizations of the Ancient East

Page 21

1. Where and when did the most ancient civilizations originate?

The very first civilizations in the history of mankind - the civilizations of the Ancient East - arose in the valleys of high-water rivers, the most favorable for the progressive development of society

2. Compare what the civilizations of the Ancient East have in common and identify their main differences from each other.

The common features of the civilizations of the Ancient East were: an economic type of management (irrigated agriculture), a sacred and despotic type of supreme power (monarchy), a hierarchical structure of society; the urban nature of the development of civilizations, the development of religious ideas (pantheon of gods, mythology), knowledge (mathematics, medicine, astronomy, etc.). The differences were the features of the political structure (over-centralization of the state in Egypt, the creation of the first empires in the Middle East), social structure (Varno - caste system in India), and in cultural and ideological terms (Buddhism, Confucianism, etc.).

3. Describe despotism and its main features. Give examples.

Despotism is a super-centralized state in which all power belonged to a hereditary monarch. The establishment of laws, state building, irrigation work, mining, foreign policy - everything was determined by the ruler. At his disposal were state resources - human, land, food, clothing. For example, in governing the country, the pharaoh relied on the court nobility and the rulers of administrative territorial units.

4. Using additional sources of information, including Internet resources, prepare a project about one of the religious and philosophical teachings of the Ancient East.

In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. A new religion appears in India - Buddhism. Its founder was Buddha (Sanskrit - enlightened), the crown prince from the Gautama clan (another name is Shakyamuni - a hermit from the Shakya tribe). Having embarked on the path of ascetic life, Gautama came to the conclusion that since life is suffering, the way out of the circle of suffering is to renounce desires. He became “enlightened” after he reached a special state - nirvana, absolute detachment from the outside world. After the death of Gautama, his students compiled a biography and a set of sayings of the Teacher. Statues of Buddha and bodhisattvas (beings striving for enlightenment), installed in temples, are designed to save all living things from suffering. In the religious, philosophical and ethical views of Hindus and Buddhists, the most important place is occupied by the concept of “karma” (action). The sum of good or evil deeds in previous existences determines the form in which a person will be reincarnated after death (reincarnation - rebirth). Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism does not recognize caste division and the presence of gods - the creators of the world who control human lives. Over time, Hinduism in India replaced Buddhism. The latter is widespread in the countries of South and East Asia.

5. Discuss in class what contribution ancient Eastern civilizations made to world culture.

Each ancient Eastern civilization made a significant contribution to the development of world culture. The cultural heritage of the Ancient East includes the invention of writing and numerical symbols (digital symbols), the calendar, the beginnings of scientific knowledge (mathematics, medicine, astronomy), architectural monuments, works of fiction, and the first laws regulating public life.

Thanks to writing, the transfer of accumulated knowledge from generation to generation became sustainable, and an education system was formed. The spread of writing led to a transition from complex forms (hieroglyphic and cuneiform) to simpler and more accessible forms (letter). The first phonetic alphabet, which arose in the Middle East, in Phenicia, formed the basis of modern alphabets - Greek, Latin, Cyrillic, etc. Astronomical observations, which allowed the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese to predict river floods, determine the time of solar and lunar eclipses, stimulated the development of mathematical knowledge . In Mesopotamia, the sexagesimal notation system was used, and the year was divided, as it was in the ancient Egyptian calendar, into 12 months. In the countries of the Ancient East, using mathematical calculations and technical skills, monumental architectural structures were created, and fine art - painting, bas-reliefs, sculpture - was developed.

What is despotism, who is a despot

Despotism (from the Greek despotes - lord, lord) is a form of government. The term “despotism” was first used by Aristotle in his work “Politics”. The thinker compared this form with slavery. The ruler indulges only his own whims and violates any laws. A despot in power is capable of destroying a state and creating genocide. The history of the world knows firsthand what the legendary despotism of rulers is:

1. Genghis Khan. He created a bloodthirsty army, with which he destroyed hundreds of cities, millions of people. At the age of 13, Genghis Khan killed his brother. The reason for revenge is the stolen fish.
2. Caligula. With particular cruelty he killed animals and people for fun. He made no exceptions even for his family members.
3. Hitler. He wanted to use the method of genocide to leave the only, highest, according to him, race - the Aryans.

In the Ancient East, any supreme ruler in slave-holding monarchies was called a despot. This is the original meaning of the term. Later, a despot began to be called any autocratic person who thirsts for recognition and submission from other people.

Despotism is a character trait, an accentuation. Manifested by a pronounced need for power. Such a person does not take into account the opinions and desires of other people, wants to gain complete control over other people's lives, and does not accept objections and disobedience.

Psychologists note that all despots have similar positive and negative qualities. Positive characteristics include:

• the ability to get out of any situation;
• developed oratory skills;
• ability to adapt, play to the public.

Tyrants can play any emotion, make other people believe them, win them over. They are able to express any information in simple and accessible language.

What shortcomings, besides despoticism itself, do tyrants have:

• narcissism;
• cruelty;
• tendency to manipulate;
• hysteria;
• suspiciousness;
• envy;
• jealousy;
• infantilism;
• inconsistency;
• mood swings.

Features of despotism

Like any social phenomenon, one-man rule is characterized by something:

• Power lies with one person.
• Governance of the state is inherited, practically a monarchy.
• Power is supported by a religious cult.
• The personality of the despot is idealized.
• Normal opposition is prohibited, as is criticism of the dictator.
• A large number of people in the administrative resource.
• The feeling of danger is constantly intensified, which justifies the costs of the military, of which there are a lot under an oppressive form of government.

Some characteristic features of despotism are evident to this day. You can find many of the points in your country, but they will not be so radical. Despite the apparent completeness of power, the despot does not rule alone. Often he is a convenient ruler through whom the elites resolve their issues.

What it is?

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec correctly noted that from the wound inflicted on the despot, a sea of ​​someone else’s blood flows. Despotism is an activity when a person who believes in his unlimited power cannot even believe that someone is capable of acting contrary to his wishes. From this he begins to show aggression, which is expressed in physical or psychological violence. This is exactly what is said about despotism in psychology. This is an acquired personality quality, which manifests itself in the desire to gain unlimited power.

On the other hand, the term “despotism” is used in political science. From the point of view of political science, despotism is a form of government when the state apparatus is in the hands of one person or group of people, and they have full right to control the destinies of their subjects. Simply put, despotism is unlimited power.

Despotism

Despotism translated from Greek means unlimited power . Today, by despotism we understand a certain form of state in which all power is concentrated in the hands of one ruler-ruler, as a rule, a hereditary monarch who rules the state through the military-bureaucratic apparatus.

This form of government as despotism was characteristic of the Ancient East, for example, of Ancient Egypt, Iran, India, and China.

By the way, this is where the concept of eastern despotism comes from.

Characteristic features of a despotic form of power

• complete arbitrariness of power;
• absolute lack of rights for the people.

Basic provisions of a despotic state

• The will of the tyrant is law;
• The personality of the tyrant is divine;
• The monarch is the supreme owner of the land;
• The power of a despot is unlimited.

Reasons for the emergence of despots

Historians note that the main reason for the emergence of limitless despotism is the long-term preservation of the communal way of life .
Let us recall that in a communal system, all members of the community cultivate the land together or transfer plots of land for temporary use to families. In this system, there is still no private property, so state power usually appears in this form as despotism. Despotism is also often called tyranny or monarchy.

Imagine a small group of people (community), where everyone works together to cultivate the land for further harvesting, in order to feed themselves. In power is the tribal leader, who controls this entire community, makes important decisions, gives orders about who should do what. Gradually, the community grows, turns into a settlement, a city, a state, and power remains in the hands of one tribal leader with a handful of close relatives who can give advice. But at the same time, nominally all power is still concentrated in the hands of one person - this is how despotism begins.

It is this late primitive communal system, with the long-term preservation of general rules for everyone and with one leader, that gives rise to the form of power known as despotism. And given the absolute power of the monarch and his deification, few resisted the fact that the heirs of the tyrant would be in charge.

A classic example of tyranny is Ancient Egypt. In power is the pharaoh, the son of Ra (the sun god). Legislative, judicial, executive and military powers were concentrated in his hands. The people were completely dependent on their monarch.

Despotism was traced in Babylonia, Assyria, the Persian Empire, Ancient India, China, Iran and many others. Each individual state had its own characteristics, for example, sometimes the despot was not deified.

Tyranny in action

Supreme ruler through intermediaries:

• Organized public works;
• Collected taxes;
• Built irrigation structures - additional watering of land (necessary for effective farming);
• Provided protection from external enemies;
• Captured the lands of external enemies.

All this required the formation of departments: the department of military affairs, internal affairs and public works, and at their expense the despotism could function.

There were no laws as such; the supreme ruler used a policy of intimidation. And the effective tool in this was the divine cult. The priests became so powerful that they even administered justice, but still despotism did not give them too much power.

Human rights under tyranny

1. Preservation of the communal system

The primitive communal system did not give up its positions, which means that there could not even be any talk of private property, all family members were collectively responsible and the crimes of one fell on the shoulders of all members of the community.

2. Consolidation of social inequality

Those close to the monarch by birth still had advantages, but as for slaves, freedmen and other categories of free people, their rights were infringed.

3. Religious background

Law was closely connected with moral responsibility and religious canons. For example, in honor of the celebrations of a particular god, it was forbidden to cause disturbances in the streets. Any offense was at the same time a violation of the canons of religion.

4. Oral standards of morality

Even when the state used written sources, the law still remained oral and was passed on as customs from generation to generation.

5. Reinforcing common cases

In legal practice, the despot prescribed specific cases, and then based them on the interpretation of justice in other cases.

6. Formalism of law

Legal norms remained in their infancy for a very long time.

The development of Eastern countries with a despotic form of government was slowed down due to:

• Excessive centralization of management;
• Archaism of legal norms;
• Disenfranchisement of the people;
• Stagnation of social relations.

It cannot be said that the despotic form of government was the result of the greed of some and the stupidity of others. The formation of this form of power was also determined by geographical factors. In particular, farming in the East was quite a complex task, requiring the creation of reserves in case of various natural disasters and crop failures; strict management was needed to unite communities.

But on the other hand, despotism slowed down the development of countries so much that Western civilization entered the arena of the outside world and replaced Eastern civilization in this field.

How to help a despot and is it necessary to do so?

A despotic person does not disdain the desires of other people because they seem insignificant to him, but because he is afraid of losing his own importance in the eyes of other people. At a consultation with a psychologist, where the issue of despotism of one of the spouses is raised in the name of saving the marriage, the specialist always first finds out the areas of non-realization of the aggressor’s own capabilities and then works in these directions.

What does psychological therapy consist of with a person whose tyrannical tendencies have put family life in jeopardy:

eliminating the inferiority complex; concentration on the development of true virtues with gradual disposal of false ones; finding reference points for self-affirmation using existing abilities and talents; developing a respectful attitude towards others.

The key point in therapy is the moment when the oppressive person gains the ability to admit that he is wrong. In fact, this fact is considered one of the most important, since the tyrant always considers himself to be right, and his opinion to be unquestioningly true. When a person recognizes that in some situations the opinions of others may seem more valuable than his own, he can engage in dialogue and find compromises.

Unfortunately, not in all cases of turning to a specialist is it possible to transform a domestic despot into a person with a healthy attitude towards interpersonal communications. If a miracle does not happen, the only way out for the suppressed spouse from a traumatic relationship will be separation from the aggressor.

Differences between tyranny and despotism

Political thinkers and writers have noted tyranny as the worst form of government corruption. Tyrants and despots rarely praised and always looked with hatred and fear. A ruler with unlimited despotic power can become a tyrant. But it is not necessary that tyrant and despot mean the same thing. A despotic ruler can be benevolent if he rules with fiat, but for the benefit of the subjects. But a tyrant can never be benevolent, because a tyrant always wants to fulfill his own interests. A despot's ruler views adult humans as his children, as if they were to be ruled by the ruler. Now, if the despot ruled for the welfare of the subjects, then he

A "benevolent" despot, where as if he treated them as his slaves and used them to his advantage, he moves on to the shooting range. Despot in Greek means the head of a family who rules over the children of a family or a group of slaves. But tyrant, also originally a Greek word, means head of state or government. If the condition of the objects of the tyrant and the despot are the same, then the line of difference between them is confused.

According to Plato and Aristotle, a monarchy can be considered as royal when the ruler or king ruled over the welfare of the subjects and it will be considered as tyranny when the king uses objects for his personal well-being. Aristotle in his discussion on the tyranny of the few and the many argued that in a monarchy the king can become a tyrant, like an oligarchy, the rich and in a lawless democracy the poor can become despotic.

History has shown that a ruler with absolute power at his disposal can be a benevolent despot and a tyrant at the same time, as some of his actions are oppressive to the subjects, where as some actions may be seen by the subjects as promoting their well-being, but in both cases the ruler must apply its own rule without any legislative support.

Thus, it can be seen that the term "tyranny" is difficult to define precisely. Some authors used it as a synonym for despotism, some of them made a distinction between the two, and some of them used the term only in relation to monarchy, while some of them associated it with other forms of governments.

Where is it most often found?

The location of the states under the control of the despot was in the East. European countries were not affected by despotism, but there was tyranny in them, which is relatively better than one-man rule without regulation by legal norms.

Despotism, examples of countries:

• Egypt.
• Assyria.
• Persia.
• Babylonia.
• China.
• India.

Fortunately, despotism did not migrate to other countries. There is not a single country in the modern world with such a form of government. Unless North Korea can be classified as a despotic state, and now we’ll figure out why.

What is despoticism?

Despotism is a personality trait characterized by cruel subordination of others, suppression of their will and rights.

The behavior of a despot is characterized by:

• aggression,
• revenge,
• imposing one's will
• humiliation,
• physical violence.

The aggression of a despot is associated with phobias and fears, constant self-doubt. Feeling dissatisfaction, a feeling of being deprived of something on a subconscious level, the tyrant takes revenge on others and believes that in this way he restores his confidence and self-esteem. By imposing his will on others, humiliating a person, a despot asserts himself.

Reasons for despoticism:

• Despotism in childhood.
• Own importance.

Despots often become children who were influenced by domineering parents, which in adulthood contributed to copying their behavior. Having harbored a childhood resentment, children who were unable to cope with their fears in the future transferred it to members of their family and those around them. According to psychotherapists, this is the main reason for the manifestation of despotism in a person’s character.

Constantly instilling in a child such feelings as originality and uniqueness, inclines him to prove his importance both to himself and to others, which later becomes the foundation of despotism and self-confidence.

Male despotism

Male despotism has more frightening prognoses than female despotism. A despot man is an uncontrollable projectile, dangerous to his family and others. While a woman thinks and tries to control the situation, a man does not; it is structured completely differently: men’s feelings and reason work alternately, and if emotions appear (in this case, aggression), then the mind turns off. In this case, the consequences can be the worst, as evidenced by the statistics of domestic crimes.

In a family, it is considered normal for a despot to use mental, physical and sexual violence against a woman. The man imposes his own opinion on the correctness of the relationship to the whole family, sets rules and demands their strict observance, and in case of disobedience or violation of his rules, he applies punishment.

Having freedom of thought or speech, according to the despot, is not a woman’s rights. If a rude attitude towards his wife is shown in front of strangers, those around him often do not understand the reason for his behavior.

Pleading for mercy has no effect on him. He does not hear her, he behaves arrogantly and impudently. He likes to humiliate his woman in front of friends and acquaintances; he can threaten her, insult her, assault her (without serious injury), throw objects at her, etc.

Female despotism

Women, using strong statements, because they have both feelings and reason at work at the same time, can crush any man. Armed with reproaches and insults, attacking a man’s sexual abilities, touching his weaknesses, they are able to suppress a person; often this happens due to jealousy.

In case of resistance, representatives of the fair sex turn to blackmail and threats (file for divorce, take away children, commit suicide, etc.). Such behavior is also called emotional vampirism or emotional drug addiction.

Sometimes female despotism is expressed in vile and base actions. This could be an unfounded accusation of a husband of pedophilia, beating a child and blaming the husband for this beating, etc.

How to get rid of despotism?

To get rid of it, you must have the desire to do it and understand your problem. Realizing the meaninglessness of tyranny and the fact that an oppressive attitude has no effect on self-affirmation, importance and self-confidence will help change the attitude towards yourself and others.

The most correct way would be to contact a psychotherapist.

What is despotism and what are its main features?

? QUESTIONS 1. Where and when did the most ancient civilizations of the world originate? Why are they called “river” civilizations? The first ancient civilizations arose in the 5th – 4th millennium BC. e. on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates (several successive civilizations subsequently existed here - Sumerian-Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian) and in the Nile River valley. Somewhat later - in the 3rd - 2nd millennium BC. e. - Indian culture originated in the Indus River valley, and in the 2nd millennium BC. e. - Chinese (in the Yellow River Valley) civilization. The first civilizations are called “river” because they arose in the valleys of the great rivers of Africa and Asia, and all economic life took place around them. 2. What are the reasons for the emergence of the first states? The main reason for the emergence of the first states was the need to monitor the creation and use of a system of irrigation structures. One leader could not cope with the organization of such work; he needed a management apparatus and numerous assistants: guards, accountants, scribes, etc. From these people, ruling groups were formed, united by a common interest. Part of the public wealth created by the labor of the masses of community members was spent on maintaining the administrative apparatus. As this apparatus became separated from society, early states emerged. 3. What is despotism? What are its main features? How did the relationship between the state and the individual develop in the Ancient East? Despotism is a special form of state where power and property were inseparable and the ruler has absolute power and is the supreme owner of all land. Features of despotism: – unlimited power of the ruler; – lack of private property; – inheritance of a public office with the corresponding rights and privileges assigned to it (including receiving products from certain lands). – deification of the ruler; – the presence of a centralized management apparatus that controlled the entire life of the country; Relations between the state and the individual were formed on the basis of laws and traditions that determined the place of each social layer (and the person belonging to it) within a kind of social pyramid. At the top of this pyramid was the ruler. The degree of closeness to him determined the position, duties, rights and privileges of officials. The bulk of the population did not have access to power. 4. What were the features of the aristocratic and democratic forms of government in the policies? Under the aristocratic form of government, the noble and wealthy received greater opportunities in governing the state. Aristocrats paid large sums to the treasury, equipped warships at their own expense, and came to war in more expensive and heavier weapons. As a result, noble people were elected as military leaders, judges, and were appointed to other important positions. In a democratic form of government, all citizens were involved in running the state, regardless of origin and wealth. A democratic system developed in Athens and was characterized by such features as the power of citizens exercised through the people's assembly, the election of officials, and payment for their activities. 5. What features of Eastern society were adopted by the Greek and Roman worlds during the Hellenistic and Roman eras? The Greek and Roman worlds in the era of Hellenism and the Roman Empire adopted the following features of eastern society: - a system of government, the states were headed by kings, management began to resemble eastern despotism; – elements of culture. TASKS 1. Compare the relationship between the state and the individual in ancient Eastern societies and policies of the Greco-Roman world. Which segments of the population and why were interested in the development of ancient democracy? In ancient Eastern societies, the relationship between the state and the individual was built on the principle of complete subordination and the absence of any rights among the inhabitants of the state. The ruler had absolute power and was the supreme owner of all the land. In ancient Eastern states there was practically no private property. A noble person was inherited a government position with the corresponding rights and privileges assigned to it. In the ancient Eastern despotisms, a centralized administrative apparatus was formed that controlled the entire life of the country. Laws and traditions determined the place of each social layer (and the person belonging to it) within a kind of social pyramid. At the top of this pyramid was the ruler. The degree of closeness to him determined the position, duties, rights and privileges of officials. The bulk of the population did not have access to power. In the policies of the Greco-Roman world, the relationship between man and the state was built on the existence of the rights of citizens and their participation in public administration. The supreme power in the polis belonged to the people's assembly, in which all full-fledged citizens could participate. The assembly passed laws, elected rulers, made peace or declared war. The policy protected the interests of its citizens, but they also had certain responsibilities. The first of these was participation in the wars waged by the policy. For citizens, the state was not a force standing above society, protecting the interests of only a small group of people - the king and his nobles. Therefore, the main value for a resident of the policy was the well-being of not only his family, but also his hometown. Artisans and traders, who made up a significant part of the inhabitants of the polis, were interested in the formation and development of ancient democracy. They opposed the idea that all power in the state belonged to the agricultural nobility and fought for their right to participate in government. 2. The Roman Empire was called a world power. Using card No. 1 (page I on the color tab), determine why it was called that way. The lands of which ancient civilizations became part of the empire? What modern states are located on its territory? Because Rome became the ruler not only of Italy, but of the entire Mediterranean. At the time of the greatest expansion of the Roman Empire, its population was 27 million people. The provinces of the state were located in three parts of the world. Rome captured the lands of such ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Ancient Greece. Today, these lands contain states: Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Spain, Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Palestine, etc.

How to recognize a despot?

The main behavioral signs of a despotic person are:

The target's desire to take control of everyone who shows interest in him (anyone), and then the desire to maintain this control at any cost. Vengefulness, always developing in two directions - in relation to controlled objects to intimidate them and in relation to those who managed to leave the tyrant’s sphere of influence. The need to morally and physically humiliate people, which always happens openly, demonstratively. An unmistakable “feeling” that determines when surrounded by weak individuals who are not prone to moral resistance.

All despotic people are excellent manipulators, so at the very beginning of communication they can only be recognized by indirect signs. The final “revelation” of character occurs when the tyrant encounters resistance against himself or feels the complete subordination of those around him and no longer considers it necessary to hide his true “I”.

Signs of despotism

In a society where the perception of violence and personal boundaries is violated, despotism can be perceived as a manifestation of character or even respected. People who were traumatized by the dependent type in childhood fall in love with despots and tyrants as adults, again without noticing the gross violation of their freedom.

One of the characteristic signs of despotism is the perception of physical and psychological violence as a norm of behavior and a way of regulating relationships. Such mechanisms are the main ones in interaction with a despot; he practically does not know how to ask, negotiate, or seek compromises.

Any type of violence is used when the partner’s behavior does not correspond to the desires of the despot, and at first he can demonstrate his dissatisfaction and give the other the opportunity to correct himself; if this does not happen as soon as possible, then the other will be punished (a blow to the face or a week of silence - it doesn’t matter). It is worth noting that the requirements for a partner’s behavior are often quite strange, and dissatisfaction will be caused by what others perceive as the norm

The thing is that anger is caused by any behavior or opinion that contains the individuality of another, and not his personal one.

Behaviors such as gaslighting often occur when a despot convinces another that everything bad is a figment of his imagination. They can talk for a long time about how cruel treatment was invented. And rudeness is perceived this way because of the unstable mental state of the despot’s victim herself. One’s influence and guilt are never acknowledged; on the contrary, another may be accused of manipulative hysterics, when in fact these are tears of pain. Humiliation and insults in front of others become the norm, and when trying to clarify relationships, a person may be accused of lacking a sense of humor, explaining such statements as a joke. So that a person does not have doubts about the inadequacy of his partner, his circle of friends is limited, and relatives and friends who could share their opinions gradually disappear.

Typically, despots try to completely destroy another person's self-esteem in order to have even more leverage to control. Although in the first stages of a relationship, on the contrary, they will sing your praises. The mechanism is something like this: a person gets used to receiving huge doses of compliments, so at the first criticism he will do everything to improve, then the criticism becomes more frequent, and the desire to correct the situation becomes stronger. As a result, you can discover an idea from which it is very easy to manipulate the consciousness of another: “in fact, I am terrible, it’s just that others don’t notice it, but this great person knows everything about me and continues to stay close.”

It is important that the despot will appropriate all victories to himself, and blame all defeats on his partner, while the other may even be blamed for his own troubles at work, a spoiled mood, and being stuck in a traffic jam. Attempts to appeal to an adequate perception of reality are useless

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EASTERN DESPOTIC STATES

It has already been said that in the East the transition from primitiveness to civilization was accompanied by the development of irrigation agriculture. The creation of irrigation systems required the organization of collective labor of a large number of people, the efforts of the entire country as a whole. It was also difficult to maintain the canal system in order. All this work could not be carried out without a rigid organization, without a strong centralized government. Scientists believe that this influenced the formation of a special type of state - eastern despotism.

In different civilizations it could have some differences, but its essence was the same: at the head of the state was a ruler who had all the power

Despotia - translated from Greek means “unlimited power”; form of autocratic power.

power and was considered the owner of all the land. This type of power was realized through an extensive administrative system,

that is, an apparatus of officials that covered the entire country. Officials not only collected taxes from the population, but also organized joint agricultural work and construction, monitored the condition of canals, recruited recruits for military campaigns, and administered justice.

Such a state structure was very durable and stable: even when large empires fell apart, each of them reproduced despotism in miniature.

King-gods

The sky stretches wide in the distance. But there is not an inch of non-royal land under the sky. On the entire shore that is surrounded by the seas, - Everywhere on this earth there are only the servants of the king. From the ancient Chinese “Book of Songs”, XI-VII centuries. BC e.,

So, the kings occupied a completely exceptional position in the despotic state. The tsar was considered, at least formally, the sole owner of all lands, during wars he stood at the head of the army, was the highest authority in court, people flocked to him! taxes, he organized irrigation work, and was the high priest initiated into all the sacraments. The stability of despotism was also maintained due to the belief in the divinity of the king. In Egypt, for example, the pharaoh was called not only the Lord of the Two Lands,

i.e., Southern and Northern Egypt, but also the living embodiment of the god Horus, the lord of the heavens. Subsequently, the pharaoh was endowed with a “solar name” - he became the god Ra. His palace was considered a temple. His name was forbidden to be pronounced, because it was believed to have a special magical power that should not be wasted.

In China, the emperor was called the Son of Heaven,

supreme deity.

In the oldest Indian religious book, the Veda

it was written that the king was created from particles of the body of different gods “and therefore he surpasses all created beings in brilliance... Like the sun, he burns the eyes and heart, and no one on earth can look at him. According to his [supernatural] power, he is fire and wind, he is the sun and the moon, he is the lord of justice...”

All these magnificent titles were not just flowery metaphors with the help of which the king exalted himself over his subjects. Not in a figurative, but in a literal sense, for ancient people the king was a god in human form. This belief dates back to primitive times, to mysterious rituals in which the leader of the tribe, also a priest, played the role of a creator, creating world order out of chaos. As in the primitive era, ancient civilizations maintained the belief that the king (leader) possesses magical powers on which the well-being of his people depends. This power extends to his subjects even after the death of the king, or rather, after his transition to another world. Therefore, during the funeral of the king, great importance was attached to the correct performance of all funeral rites. Giant pyramids were built in Egypt in order to equip his new “home” as best as possible: after all, the prosperity of the country depended on the afterlife bliss of the “great god”.

These ancient ideas became a thing of the past very slowly: the idea that the king was a god gradually became obsolete (in China, already in the 1st millennium BC, the idea appeared that an unrighteous king could be removed), but the belief that the royal power is sacred and will remain for a long time.

Society structure

, professional and functional differences increased

(craft was separated from agriculture, trade and agriculture arose, property stratification grew. Already in ancient times, a complex structure of society began to take shape, which subsequently became more and more differentiated and branched.

A feature of Eastern societies was their strict hierarchy:

each social stratum occupied its clearly defined place and differed from others in its social significance, as well as responsibilities, rights and privileges.

Clothing depends on rank, and the consumption of wealth depends on the amount of remuneration corresponding to the rank of nobility. No matter how wise and noble a man may be, he dare not wear clothes that do not correspond to his rank; no matter how rich he is, he does not dare to take advantage of benefits not provided for by his remuneration...

From the Chinese philosophical treatise “Guanzi”,

VII century BC e.

Therefore, society in ancient civilizations is often depicted as a pyramid. At its top stands the king, followed by the highest layer of the nobility, consisting of priests, clan and military aristocracy. These were the most privileged sections of society. Representatives of the nobility occupied high government positions and had vast lands at their disposal. These lands could be taken away from communities, and most often they were given by the king or conquered during wars.

A large apparatus of officials also occupied a high position in society ,

necessary for governing the state, so learning brought great practical benefits.

A special stratum were merchants,

which were supported by the state interested in post-

• Hierarchy - the sequential arrangement of social strata or official ranks from lower to higher, in the order of their subordination.

sale of foreign and rare goods. Thanks to the merchants, economic connections, still very weak, were established between individual regions.

Warriors constituted a special category of the population. While serving in the standing army, they received supplies from the state. After successful campaigns, distribution of lands and slaves was arranged; in addition, the warriors lived by plundering the occupied lands. In peacetime, they were often involved in hard work: for example, in Egypt, warriors worked in quarries.

There were quite a number of artisans, most of them lived in cities, but there were also artisans (obviously dependent) who worked in workshops belonging to temples, the king or the nobility, under the lash of overseers.

The bulk of society was made up of free community members-peasants.

The only exception is Egypt, where, according to scientists, the community was almost entirely absorbed by power and most likely was part of the royal, temple and noble households.
The rural community
, both in ancient civilizations and in the Middle Ages, right up to the industrial revolution, was the main production unit. It goes back to the distant past, to the primitive era, when people were grouped first into clans and then into neighboring communities. The rural community was formed on the basis of the primitive neighboring community. However, it could also preserve family and kinship ties.

The main economic unit in the community was the large patriarchal family,

who had her own house, property, sometimes slaves, and a plot of land. From the community she received a plot of land and enjoyed the harvest from it, but such plots were considered the property of the entire community, that is, as a rule, they could not be sold.

All members of the community were bound by mutual responsibility: this meant mutual assistance and responsibility

for crimes committed by any of its members. The community, for example, had to compensate for losses from theft and pay fines for those guilty if they themselves could not do this.

The state imposed a number of responsibilities on the community: monitor the condition of the irrigation system (in its area), take part in drainage work, build canals, and supply recruits in case of war. In addition, each community member had to pay a tax to the state, that is, to the king, who, as already mentioned, formally owned all the land.

Despite the rather heavy duties, belonging to the community was a privilege:

free community members had much greater rights than those who lost their land.
The community's way of life had its own characteristics: it was closed
, that is, it lived on a subsistence economy and produced everything necessary for its existence.
The state intervened in her life mainly when it was necessary to collect taxes or wage war. This isolation of the community was reinforced by the right of self-government.
Controversial issues were resolved at community meetings. Even with regard to religion, the community was completely independent: almost every locality had its own special deities and cults.

A person in a community felt primarily as part of a team, and not as an individual,

who can build her own life, independently of others. And therefore, expulsion from the community was considered a severe punishment.

The existence of the community was built on tradition,

strict observance of ancient customs that have not changed for thousands of years. This was largely explained by the fact that the slightest deviation from the experience developed by previous generations threatened with great losses for the economy and even death. As a result, the life of the community, both economic and spiritual, was very conservative.

However, not all the peasantry belonged to communities; many lost their plots, as the process of property stratification was going on in the community, albeit very slowly. Peasants who found themselves outside the community, as a rule, worked on lands that were in the possession of temples, the nobility, or the king himself. They also received an allotment, but on a different basis, as if for rent; at the same time, they not only had to pay quitrent, but also did not have the right to leave their plots.

existed in ancient Eastern civilizations .

Slaves, as a rule, were part of a large patriarchal family, which is why this type of slavery is usually called
domestic slavery.
Slave labor was also used on lands and in workshops owned by the nobility, in palace and temple farms, in mines and construction.

Mostly prisoners of war became slaves.

but there were also internal sources - for example,
debt slavery,
which grew as the community stratified. However, debt slavery was not necessarily lifelong: having worked off his debt, yesterday’s slave again became a free person. The number of slaves could be very significant: say, in China in the 3rd century. BC e. The slave trade assumed such proportions that markets were created for the sale of slaves. In Egypt in the 2nd millennium BC. e. Even people of average income had slaves: artisans, gardeners, shepherds.

And yet the labor of slaves remained complementary

in relation to the labor of free and dependent peasants and artisans: it did not play a decisive role in economic life.

Questions and tasks

1. What is despotism? What main functions did centralized state power perform in the states of the Ancient East?

2. Think about the significance of the fact that the king was considered the owner of all the land. In what position in relation to

did this pose a problem to all other segments of the population, including the nobility?

3. Why were kings deified in ancient times? Give examples that show this

4. Tell us about the structure of societies in the ancient civilizations of the East. Why is such a society called hierarchical? What role did slaves and free or dependent community members play in it?

§3

RIGHT OR DISRIGHT?

All ancient civilizations created written codes of laws.

This was a big step forward compared to primitive society, where
customs operated.
They developed gradually, over hundreds of centuries, and turned into
a tradition to which

When humanity entered the era of civilization and states began to form, such customs still continued to exist (customary law).

But they were clearly not enough to regulate life in states where social inequality developed, where society was stratified into many groups and each of them had their own interests, which did not always coincide with the interests of others or were directly opposite to them.

How did all these groups get along together? We have already defined the state in ancient civilizations as despotism. This word immediately evokes in a modern person the idea of ​​arbitrariness, unlimited rights of some and complete subordination, lack of rights and slavish downtroddenness of a huge number of others.

But let us first turn to the opinion of the ancient legislators themselves.

Tyrant husband

A despotic person, which means domineering, narcissistic, is a great grief for the family, especially if the spouse chooses the tactic “a bad peace is better than a good quarrel.” Of course, counter-aggression is also not a solution - then family life turns into an open struggle for the title of “who is stronger,” but agreeing with a dependent position will not be a relief for a woman.

Male tyranny in the family first manifests itself in small things against the backdrop of a benevolent and generally prosperous environment. The husband relieves his wife of most of the responsibility, shows himself as a friend and adviser, and only then it is discovered that this was done for the sole purpose of depriving the woman of her independence and freedom of expression.

But even having achieved his goal, a despotic person, by definition, cannot stop. He will find more and more reasons to be dissatisfied, and the woman will have to either come to terms with the eternal fate of the “guilty head”, or completely eliminate the tyrant from her life. Unfortunately, it is not possible to correct a despot husband or somehow shake him into confidence in his own rightness.