Breaching guild equality unleashed self-reinforcing specialization that dissolved the guild
Evidence
Once the principle of equality had been broken through to the extent that one member could have another labor for him and that he could select his sales market on the basis of his own personal capacity and energy, his knowledge of the market, and his assessment of its prospects, it was inevitable that just these personal attributes, once given the opportunity to unfold, would continue to develop, leading to an ever increasing specialization and individualization within the fellowship of the guild and, finally, to the dissolution of that fellowship. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 598
Categorization
- ADDENDUM: The guild-equalization-to-differentiation chain parallels the homogenization-then-individualization dynamic my essay traces in urban strangers.
- XREF: connects to: Traditional social structures and orders can disintegrate over time; Human armies and social insects solved the same weapon trade-off by role specialization — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 133; Liberated individuals turn from equality toward distinguishing themselves from others — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 535 (+1 more)
Related
Broader Connections
- Traditional social structures and orders can disintegrate over time
#exemplifies(0.55) - Human armies and social insects solved the same weapon trade-off by role specialization
#corroborates(0.50) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 133 - Individual diversity can be conceived as a division of labor among unique beings
#expands(0.50) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 691 - Liberated individuals turn from equality toward distinguishing themselves from others
#corroborates(0.40) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 535