Social mobility was just as high in medieval England as it is in the US today

"In terms of social mobility, then, what did the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution achieve? Very little." -- Gregory Clark, The Son Also Rises, p. 75

Or in modern Sweden, or modern England.

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. It is not the social mobility is low in the US: it is the same here as in Sweden. Or is it is anywhere.

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  2. He also notes that the persistent stratification is largely a result of genetic factors. Seems the egalitarian/blank slate assumption is the big mistake of modern social philosophy.

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    Replies
    1. That's even more depressing?

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    2. On the positive side, social mobility is real, and seemingly can't be snuffed out.

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    3. Although the caste system in India came close to doing so!

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    4. I remember learning about the Hindu caste system in high school. Thankfully it itself has nearly been snuffed out.

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    5. Clark's study shows that it persists: if your ancestors were upper caste a century ago, you are much more likely to be in the elite today than if they were not, despite extensive government programs attempting to "snuff it out."

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