Feudalism’s narrow circles suppressed both collective spirit and individual freedom

Evidence

Now in the general, societal meaning of freedom, I would say that feudalism generated nothing but narrow circles that bound individual to individual and restricted each by his obligation to the other. For this reason, within the feudal system there was room neither for national enthusiasm or public spirit, nor for the spirit of individual enterprise and private energy. The same restrictions that prevented the emergence of conceptions of a higher social union also prevented, at the lower level, the actualization of individual freedom. For just this reason, it is especially pertinent and profound that during the feudal period, the “freeman” is defined as a man who is subject to the law of the realm; bound and unfree is the man who is party to a feudal tie, that is, whose law derives from this narrower circle to the exclusion of the wider one. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 647

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: In narrow circles individuality requires leadership or complete inner independence — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 621; Larger social circles encourage individual freedom; smaller ones restrict it — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 642; Ruling-personality cohesion and individual freedom both stem from group-shackle breaking — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 670 (+8 more)

Related

• Ruling-personality cohesion and individual freedom both stem from group-shackle breaking (similarity 0.85)
• Larger social circles encourage individual freedom; smaller ones restrict it (similarity 0.82)
• In narrow circles individuality requires leadership or complete inner independence (similarity 0.80)
• Freedom as a political force is bound to towns, wealth, and communal solidarity (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Ruling-personality cohesion and individual freedom both stem from group-shackle breaking #expands (0.60) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 670
• Capitalism extended feudal relations rather than negating them #expands (0.55)
• Capitalism’s form was determined by preexisting feudal civilization #corroborates (0.50)