Poverty: Origins, Causes & Avoidance

Thread starter Avichal
Start date Apr 8, 2013

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the origins and evolution of poverty, asserting that poverty has existed since the emergence of social hierarchies among early human societies. Participants reference David Graeber's book, "Debt: The First 5000 Years," to highlight the connection between monetary systems and class structures. The conversation emphasizes that poverty is not a recent phenomenon but has been a constant throughout human history, exacerbated by factors such as slavery, natural disasters, and economic disparity. The dialogue concludes that while absolute poverty has diminished in developed nations, relative poverty remains a complex issue influenced by wealth distribution and societal structures.

PREREQUISITES

Understanding of social hierarchies and class systems
Familiarity with David Graeber's "Debt: The First 5000 Years"
Knowledge of economic principles related to wealth distribution
Awareness of historical contexts of poverty and societal evolution

NEXT STEPS

Research the historical development of monetary systems and their impact on social structures
Explore the concepts of absolute and relative poverty in contemporary economics
Investigate the role of natural disasters in exacerbating poverty levels
Study the effects of wealth distribution models on societal inequality

USEFUL FOR

Historians, economists, sociologists, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of poverty and its historical context.

Apr 9, 2013

ImaLooser

russ_watters said:

The zero point from which development is measured. All animals are poor and all humans were poor prior to the development of civilization.

There were huge herds of animals and flocks of birds, so I think that animals were much wealthier than they are now. I'd say extinction of a species is the ultimate in poverty.

As to human beings, consider the Hopi tribe. They seem to have been the first tribe in North America, so in effect they owned the entire continent. They left mounds behind, like the Ohio serpent mound, so there is evidence that they traveled over the entire continent. There was such a wealth of animal life that hunting was easy. One might consider them fabulously wealthy.

BUT the original poster has clarified that the issue under discussion is economic disparity, so all this is irrelevant. He seems to be interested in civilizations.

Originally all wealth came from the land. Some lands produced more human-usable wealth than others, so there was a natural disparity. This remains.

I would guess that the ancient practice of slavery introduced artificial economic disparity. It was certainly one of the earliest forms.