How to understand the expression "settled way of life"

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

In historical science there are things that lead people into a stupor. They are said to be intuitive, do not require decoding. It doesn't make it any easier for pupils and students. For example, what is a “settled way of life”? What image should arise in the head when this expression is used in relation to peoples? Do not know? Let's find out.

Sedentary life: definition

It must be said right away that our expression concerns (so far) history and the natural world. Remember what characterized the society of the past, what do you know about the ancient tribes? People of old moved for their prey. Such behavior was then natural, since the opposite left people without food. But as a result of the progress of that time, man learned to produce the necessary product himself. This is the reason for the transition to a sedentary lifestyle. That is, people stopped wandering, began to build houses, take care of the land, grow plants and raise livestock. Previously, they had to go for animals with their whole family, move to where they ripenedfruit. That is the difference between nomadic and settled way of life. In the first case, the people do not have permanent stationary houses (all sorts of huts and yurts do not count), cultivated land, well-maintained enterprises, and similar useful things. The sedentary way of life contains all of the above, or rather it consists of it. People begin to equip the territory that they consider their own. In addition, they also protect her from aliens.

Animal world

We have de alt with people in principle, let's look at nature. The animal world is also divided into those who live in one place and move after food. The most obvious example is birds. In autumn, some species fly south from the northern latitudes, and in the spring they travel back. They are nomadic or migratory birds. Other species prefer settled life. That is, no rich overseas countries attract them, and it's good at home. Our city sparrows and pigeons live permanently in one specific area. They build nests, lay eggs, feed and breed. They divide the territory into small zones of influence, where strangers are not allowed, and so on. Animals also prefer settled life, although their behavior depends on their habitats. Animals go where there is food. What makes them lead a sedentary lifestyle? In winter, for example, there are not enough stocks, therefore, you have to vegetate from hand to mouth. So their instincts, transmitted by blood, command. Animals define and defend their territory, where everything "belongs" to them.

Movement of peoples and settled way of life

Don't confuse nomads with settlers. Settlement refers to the principle of life, and not to any particular event. For example, peoples in history often moved from one territory to another. Thus, they won new zones of influence from nature or competitors to their society. But such things are fundamentally different from nomadism. Moving to a new place, people equipped and, as best they could, landscaped it. That is, they built houses and cultivated the land. Nomads don't do that. Their principle is to be in harmony (by and large) with nature. She gave birth - people took advantage. They have little effect on her world. Settled tribes build their lives differently. They prefer to influence the natural world, adjusting it for themselves. This is the fundamental, fundamental difference between lifestyles. We are all settled now. There are, of course, separate tribes that live according to the precepts of their ancestors. They do not affect civilization as a whole. And most of humanity consciously came to settled way of life, as a principle of interaction with the outside world. This is a consolidated solution.

Will the sedentary lifestyle of people continue

Let's try to look into the distant future. But let's start by repeating the past. People chose settled way of life because such a way of life made it possible to produce more products, that is, it turned out to be more efficient. We look at the present: we consume the resources of the planet at such a rate that they do not have time to reproduce, and the possibility is practicallyabsent, everywhere the influence of man dominates. What's next? Eat the whole earth and die? Now we are talking about nature-like technologies. That is, progressive thinkers understand that we live only at the expense of the forces of nature, which we use excessively. Will the solution of this problem lead to the rejection of the settled way of life as a principle? What do you think?