Feudalism explained

This video explaines Feudalism simply.
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Transcript:
What is Feudalism?
The term "feudalism" today describes a social, political, and economic system of medieval Europe, marked by hierarchical structures and relationships of power between nobility and peasants. Interestingly, the concept of feudalism as a formal system was unknown to the people living during the Middle Ages. Instead, "feudalism" as an idea was developed by later scholars to make sense of the complex social and economic structures of the period. Medieval people neither used the term "feudalism" nor recognized a cohesive system as we define it today.
The origins of the feudalism concept can be traced back to the 18th century. Enlightenment thinkers such as Montesquieu in De l'Esprit des Lois (1748) and Henri de Boulainvilliers described a "feudal regime" as a historical structure marked by noble privileges and obligations, setting it in contrast with the growing ideal of equality. By criticizing feudalism, Enlightenment writers challenged the Ancien Régime and its hierarchies, associating it with outdated notions of privilege and control. Adam Smith, in the same period, used "feudal system" to describe a societal structure based on inherited ranks and obligations, where wealth stemmed primarily from agriculture rather than market-driven economics. According to Smith, feudalism was defined by customary labor services owed by serfs to landowning nobles rather than by free economic exchange.
The historical understanding of feudalism evolved over time. In the 19th century, Heinrich Brunner argued that the Frankish ruler Charles Martel laid the groundwork for feudalism in the 8th century by redistributing church lands to his followers in exchange for military support. This theory was later contested by historians such as Paul Fouracre, who argued that these arrangements did not fundamentally alter the political landscape or create feudalism as a coherent system.
In the 20th century, scholars offered various definitions. The French historian Marc Bloch defined feudalism from a sociological perspective, considering peasants as part of the feudal relationship, in which both vassals and peasants received protection in exchange for service. In contrast, Belgian historian François Louis Ganshof focused on a narrower legal and military definition, viewing feudalism as limited to relationships within the medieval nobility. Later, Georges Duby of the Annales School examined feudalism through the lens of economic and social history, exploring shifts in local power dynamics and the decline of centralized authority in favor of local lords' rule over peasants.
Karl Marx, in the 19th century, also examined feudalism as a stage preceding capitalism, defining it as a class-based society where aristocrats controlled land and exploited peasants through serfdom. Marx's interpretation influenced later scholars, who applied his analysis to non-European societies, viewing feudalism as part of a broader "tributary" model, which included societies like imperial China and the Inca Empire.
In the latter half of the 20th century, historians began to question the validity of "feudalism" as a concept. In 1974, Elizabeth A.R. Brown argued that "feudalism" was an anachronism, a construct imposed on medieval history by modern scholars. Susan Reynolds expanded on this idea in her book Fiefs and Vassals (1994), suggesting that the term "feudalism" lacked a cohesive structure and that medieval social and legal institutions were more diverse than a single model could capture. As a result, some historians today avoid using the term, arguing that it lacks precision and may misrepresent the complexity of medieval societies.
In recent studies, historians have debated the relevance of feudalism in various cultural contexts. For instance, while feudalism has been applied to medieval Japan, some modern Japanese historians argue that comparisons should focus on fundamental differences rather than superficial similarities. This debate underscores the challenge of applying the feudalism concept beyond its European origins. Consequently, many Western civilization textbooks now treat "feudalism" as a flexible term, while some scholars question its overall usefulness in accurately describing medieval society.
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[@sargaa8471]

hi buddy can you do objetivism after ?

[@DennisForPresident846]

My next video is about the Buddhist Theocracy, but after that I do Objectivism

[@sargaa8471]

@@DennisForPresident846 nice thanks doesn't disturb you that most of your comments are suggestions ?
also do you think the political compass is useful to represent an ideology or a philososophy ?

[@jimhysell2508]

Susan Reynolds argues, very effectively, in her book Fiefs and Vassals that Feudalism never actually existed.

[@TIB3R]

I'm curious how so?

[@jimhysell2508]

@@TIB3R She points out that the terms and relationships that we associate with feudalism never existed in the medieval context and really only start appearing in 15th/16th century Italian legal documents. She effectively examines four regions in this regard: England, Germany, France, and Italy; finding no evidence that this structure we had been using was even a consideration for these people. Certainly not systematically or structurally. Her argument is widely accepted among medievalists, but "feudalism" as a concept is so ingrained societally people have a very hard time abandoning the structure. It's a dense and difficult read, but probably one of the most important works in medieval historiography in decades.

[@TIB3R]

@@jimhysell2508 I appreciate the answer! Quick question does her argument say that they never used the term "feudalism"? Which seems a given its like the Byzantine never called themselves the Byzantine Empire its just our modern name to understand them. But they were definitely still what we recognize as an Empire. Or is she saying that even the system that we understand of obligations to your lord wasn't used.

[@jimhysell2508]

@ mostly that the concept of fief and vassal were not present or understood in the way that would be needed for feudalism to function.