The Advantages of Class

• In an earlier post I discussed the inherent differences between a homogeneous (single normal distribution) and a two class society (two distinct normal distributions).
• Hypothesis: Classed societies are only stable where the gap (along some substantive measure) between classes remains above some margin.
• For the purposes of this post, I will assume that this gap is in ‘productive capacity in a technological society’ and that the minimum is in the order of two standard deviations.
• The two standard gap is not an arbitrary selection.  It represent the point at which commoners being as capable as the average elite is uncommon (1 in 40), and being as capable as the most capable elite is nearly unheard of (1 in 30,000).   Similarly for the least capable elites.  At this gap the classes are inarguably distinct.
• Furthermore, the two standard deviation gap facilitates a natural societal leadership and communication. A larger gap than this renders communication more difficult.
• Inherent in the maintenance of a two class society is a general lack of intermarriage between the two classes, and considered management of the instances in which intermarriage is permitted.  A small investigation suggests that it is the obvious intermarriage — between under-performing elites and over-performing commoners — that must at all costs be avoided.
• If intermarriage is to occur — and there are good arguments that some intermarriage should be encouraged in order to keep the two populations tethered to each other — it should be both between over-performing elites and over-performing commoners; and under-performing elites and under-performing commoners. The first is likely to have children that are clearly elite; the second clearly common.
• The imposition of such a system clearly requires ongoing effort and maintenance, and some degree of atrocity. For such a system to be viable, it must produce substantive, visible advantages for the community as a whole.
• Thus for deeper investigation of this construct to be worthwhile, the advantages must be clearly identified, and the conditions under which those advantages hold must also be noted. For — quite evidently — this structure existed stably for an extended portions of history in various culture; it also clearly suffered near total collapse in the period between 1800 and 1950.
• Which seems a good place to stop for today.

TBC