this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
1 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Lemmygrad

929 readers
7 users here now

A place to ask questions of Lemmygrad's best and brightest

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
1
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]
36 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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! ๐Ÿ™

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It depends when in the (European) feudal period. Very early feudal era was basically slavery with extra steps. It's like if we look at capitalism in the 60s and 70s, where you didn't have to have a college degree to make a living wage and could buy a house on one income, and think this applies to all of capitalism. But if we compare capitalism to itself I still prefer 2025 capitalism to 1860 capitalism.

Hickel studied this though and his results was that extreme poverty, ie the inability to fulfill shelter, food or clothing needs, did not meaningfully exist prior to capitalism.

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh to be a white man born in the 1950s. Can you link me any of Hickels work? Sounds interesting.

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

This is Hickel's paper in question if I'm not mistaken (taken from a ProleWiki reference): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22002169!