In ancient times, high fertility was not voluntary, but was actually guaranteed by a coercive mechanism
Dear readers, did you know? The ultra-high fertility rate in ancient societies did not originate from the voluntariness of the ancients, but in fact there was a coercive mechanism at work behind it. In our traditional concept, the birth of babies in ancient times seems to be out of instinct, but in fact, this is just a misunderstanding of history.
First of all, we need to understand that the level of productivity in ancient societies was much lower than in modern times. At that time, people's lives were completely dependent on land and agriculture, and the yield of land was affected by various factors such as climate and soil quality. Therefore, in order to survive, one has to increase the number of people by giving birth in order to grow more food on limited land.
However, this is only part of the problem. On a deeper level, the coercive mechanisms of ancient societies played a crucial role in fertility. In many ancient societies, women were forced to accept the responsibility of bearing children and raising children, not only because of the expectations of society, but also because of the coercion of laws and institutions.
On the one hand, ancient laws often provided for women's reproductive responsibilities. If a woman fails to give birth or raise children, she may face various forms of punishment and even be deprived of her social status and property. On the other hand, medical and sanitary conditions in ancient times were far less than in modern times, and childbearing and raising children had a great impact on women's physical and mental health, so the government and society often encouraged women to have and raise children through various means.
Of course, we must be clear that this coercive mechanism is not voluntary, but the result of a combination of social, economic, political and other factors. Moreover, with the progress of society and the development of productive forces, this coercive mechanism has gradually been weakened. However, it may still exist under certain specific historical conditions.
To sum up, the ultra-high fertility rate in ancient societies did not originate from the voluntariness of the ancients, but was realized by the coercive mechanism behind it. We should take a more holistic view of history and understand the complex social and economic factors behind fertility, rather than simply reducing it to "the voluntary actions of the ancients."