The Magistrate/Mandarin Principle

This is the first of a series of posts called "Principles of Man".

I will continually return to each post in this series adding more evidence for its importance from history.

The state is a maleficent symbiosis of enslaving brigands (magistrates) and corrupt intellectuals (mandarins).  Throughout history magistrates have used mandarins to manufacture consent (through propaganda and indoctrination) and administer resources (technocracy).  In exchange the mandarins get to share with the magistrates the power, prestige, and pelf of statecraft.

Types of Mandarins

The Scribe

Especially before the advent of widespread literacy, the professional scribe was a highly important agent of the state.  Ancient scribes were perhaps the first technocrats.  Their chief role was to keep accurate records of resources, subjects, and the resources of subjects.

The first professional scribes arose in the place where writing itself first arose: ancient Sumer.  Moreover, the first Sumerian scribes worked for the state: that is, either in the palace or the temple.

To be continued...