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Do you think a feudal peasant had a better quality of life than the modern labour aristocratic proletariat? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I have not looked into any sources on what life was like for a feudal peasant. However, I've heard that peasants had more holidays and rest. I also believe the life of a peasant was more communal and satisfactory with religion being a central feature. This, to me, is a stark contrast to the life of the modern proletariat in the Global North who often lives for work, is more and more isolated, and maybe gets only a month off work. Yes, we have higher life expectancy now (quantity) but I cant help but think that peasants had a better quality of life. Please educate me on this topic and provide some sources to look at. Thank you! 🙏

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I mean, purely on the medical part, I'd say no. Dentistry and lowering infant mortality rate along with lowering maternity mortality rate is a very very very recent thing, although dispersal and access to these qualities aren't evenly distributed today, globally and even among class divides in the imperial core.

Anyway, I just can't imagine likely dying to childbirth in the course of having 10+ kids where 3-4 survive to adulthood if you're lucky being Better :/

!! Also no baby formula. If you have a hard time producing [enough] milk (this is a common problem!) your infant is likely to have a hard time thriving. Animal milks are NOT a substitute for human milk for an infant. Peasant women who recently had kids would often be the ones providing nursemaid services for higher class families. Many other points about pests (even royalty had fleas...) and hygiene also. I'm yammering a lot but obligatory: technological progress in these measures aren't necessarily brought about by specific economic models, eg not specifically capitalism in and of itself.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

I agree on the medical side of things. I accept that we have a higher life expectancy than people did then. I was more interested in comparing the quality of life. This includes things like happiness, community, and so on...