This is by far one of the best Substack articles I’ve read thus far. Thank you for giving me hope in an age where it feels like everything is crumbling around us. :)
In the Middle Ages, didn't the monarch and the nobility technically own all the land? Couldn't people be prosecuted for unauthorized hunting or fishing? I love the idea of the commons, but I don't think this part of the article is accurate? Or am I missing something?
The British commons existed originally before the Middle Ages and then alongside the kings and feudal lords, then began to diminish with the advent of mercantilism and later capitalism - I’ll go more into that in the next article in a couple weeks.
But the concept of commons isn’t unique to the UK and most ancient societies had something similar in their past. There was so much material I wish I could have covered but tried to give a brief overview of the concept, with the hope that those interested will read some of the many histories on the subject to learn more.
Footnote 1, very interesting. In the Middle Ages, everyone got up and went to bed at the same times, regardless of seasons. Sun up and sun down were always 6 am and 6 pm (or whatever they were). Instead of the day getting short or long from subtracting or adding "hours" of daylight, the hours themselves contracted and expanded, from about 45 mins in winter to 75 in summer. One lived in harmony with nature. Your footnote illustrates another aspect whereby measurement is not absolute, but graded according to circumstances, just like with time.
We live with common property everywhere today but don't realise it: the common parts of an apartment block, roads, sports clubs, in theory at least. In England it was the reforms of Henry VIII 1532-1540 that instituted registered ownership of land, and its transmissibility mortis causa. (https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/the-law-of-the-land-of-make-believe.)
"Preguntando caminamos": the basic problem between the UK and the rest of Europe in terms of the EU was that, for each of the major policy proposals, like currency, open borders, single market, etc., everyone knew there would be problems down the line. The continental Europeans said, "We will solve them when they arise." But the UK said, "Identify them all now, and let's work out the solutions before we embark." In the EU, non-cooperation is the principal means of control.
"A community that can meet its own needs ... is ... a problem." When the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Fancy Dutch) refused to baptise their children until they would be in their teens, the state reacted by burning the parents at the stake. That is how seriously a state can take a community that wants to meet its own needs (especially its needs to register its children with the church authorities - https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/name-this-child, https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/shame-what-a-shame).
One thing I cannot yet fathom: why did the industrial masses flock from the countryside to the factories in the cities? What induced them to reject nature and embrace artificiality?
In a couple weeks I’ll cover ‘why did the industrial masses flock from the countryside to the factories in the cities? What induced them to reject nature and embrace artificiality?’ It’s a long sad story, but it needn’t be the conclusion.
I grew too many eggplant seedlings!!! Who needs some? Love your article. Everyone should read. Will restack.
Very nice. Love the Graeber reference 😎
Beautiful. Thank you!
This is by far one of the best Substack articles I’ve read thus far. Thank you for giving me hope in an age where it feels like everything is crumbling around us. :)
Thank you. Wonderful piece. My favourite line is "The children in the playground didn’t need to be taught how to share. They had to be taught not to."
In the Middle Ages, didn't the monarch and the nobility technically own all the land? Couldn't people be prosecuted for unauthorized hunting or fishing? I love the idea of the commons, but I don't think this part of the article is accurate? Or am I missing something?
The British commons existed originally before the Middle Ages and then alongside the kings and feudal lords, then began to diminish with the advent of mercantilism and later capitalism - I’ll go more into that in the next article in a couple weeks.
But the concept of commons isn’t unique to the UK and most ancient societies had something similar in their past. There was so much material I wish I could have covered but tried to give a brief overview of the concept, with the hope that those interested will read some of the many histories on the subject to learn more.
Lots to comment:
Footnote 1, very interesting. In the Middle Ages, everyone got up and went to bed at the same times, regardless of seasons. Sun up and sun down were always 6 am and 6 pm (or whatever they were). Instead of the day getting short or long from subtracting or adding "hours" of daylight, the hours themselves contracted and expanded, from about 45 mins in winter to 75 in summer. One lived in harmony with nature. Your footnote illustrates another aspect whereby measurement is not absolute, but graded according to circumstances, just like with time.
We live with common property everywhere today but don't realise it: the common parts of an apartment block, roads, sports clubs, in theory at least. In England it was the reforms of Henry VIII 1532-1540 that instituted registered ownership of land, and its transmissibility mortis causa. (https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/the-law-of-the-land-of-make-believe.)
"Preguntando caminamos": the basic problem between the UK and the rest of Europe in terms of the EU was that, for each of the major policy proposals, like currency, open borders, single market, etc., everyone knew there would be problems down the line. The continental Europeans said, "We will solve them when they arise." But the UK said, "Identify them all now, and let's work out the solutions before we embark." In the EU, non-cooperation is the principal means of control.
"A community that can meet its own needs ... is ... a problem." When the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Fancy Dutch) refused to baptise their children until they would be in their teens, the state reacted by burning the parents at the stake. That is how seriously a state can take a community that wants to meet its own needs (especially its needs to register its children with the church authorities - https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/name-this-child, https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/shame-what-a-shame).
One thing I cannot yet fathom: why did the industrial masses flock from the countryside to the factories in the cities? What induced them to reject nature and embrace artificiality?
In a couple weeks I’ll cover ‘why did the industrial masses flock from the countryside to the factories in the cities? What induced them to reject nature and embrace artificiality?’ It’s a long sad story, but it needn’t be the conclusion.
"It's what people do when no one's forcing them to do otherwise."
This is the line I most want to borrow. IT says so much.
prefiguration
One of the best and most important writings I’ve ever read on Substack!! Thanks!
Great article. Thank you for writing and posting it.
Based on just the headline: immediately yes! Will read later today.