NewsfeedCaste system and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Just an observation
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Animal & Wildlife.My News Clippings
For many of you, who are of Indian nationality, caste system must have been a hands-on experience. For the others, I would like to just say that it is one of the oldest systems in the society that defines hierarchy among the social groups.
To better understand the following subject matter, I would request you to first read about the caste system superficially, at least (over the net or some source).
Recently, I was watching a BBC Documentary being narrated by David Attenborough. It concentrated on a herd of gorillas. A herd of gorilla normally consists of the chief (which is an adult silver-back male and has the largest physique of all in the herd). The chief normally has all the females as mates.
In the herd, what the documentary showed was, there is a hierarchy system based on the physical characteristics. Greater the physique, greater is the rank of the corresponding gorilla in the herd. The higher rank results in getting higher and more stable branches to bed in, relatively fresher and nutritious food to devour and various other perks.
At the end of the documentary, there was a remark, that the same social characteristics are observant in all the other apes.
At that instant, it occurred to me.
Men in India (I am an Indian, so it has my special attention – please forgive me for the bias) and Africa indulge the most in the caste system and related hierarchy systems.
The African tribes are well-known for inheritance and such systems.
The only difference that I found in the hierarchy systems followed by men and gorillas is the following. When a gorilla is born, it has chance to grow into higher or low ranked gorilla (since the ranking is based on the physical characteristics in their case), but in the case of men, the status in the corresponding hierarchy is inherited.
Is this really the missing social link between man and ape? I really couldn’t help thinking about the similarities between this concept and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
I would really like to know the reader’s thought on this. Please…
1 Comment
Hi,
I have a few comments about the parallels you draw here.
The “only difference” you found between the caste system and heirachical behaviour of gorillas - the ability of an individual to make/take their own position in the heirachy - is not a small point. In fact it is the biggest difference possible.
In fact, rather than being an example of Natural Selection at work and therefore something emerging as a result of action in realm of natural sciences, the caste system is socially constructed system based in human action alone. I can’t think of another animal group in which individuals have no agency to change their position within the social structure/culture through action.
Saying the Caste system is like Natural Selection is like saying that ant colonies give primacy to the queen ant for the same reason England crowned Elisabeth. There may be some thread of similarity yes, but the comparison misses so much information it’s not a strong point on its own. Further analysis neeeded.
I suggest reading some more Darwin. Admittedly I need to read more darwin too - I haven’t finished Origin of the Species yet, but it isn’t called one of the greatest books ever written for nothing.
