Episode 9: The Formation of the State among Germans — Renewal from Barbarism
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Episode 9: The Formation of the State among Germans — Renewal from Barbarism
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About this listen
Welcome to Episode 9, where we explore Section 8 of Friedrich Engels’ Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State, focusing on the formation of the state among the Germanic peoples during the decline of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, we examine how the Germanic tribes, experiencing population growth and expansion, contrasted sharply with the decaying Roman Empire marked by social and economic collapse. Engels highlights the decline of slavery and free labor in Rome and argues that the Germans’ gentile constitution and “barbarism” revitalized Europe. This episode traces how these dynamics contributed to the emergence of new national identities and laid the groundwork for feudalism—a system enabling gradual emancipation unlike ancient slavery. Join us to understand how the fall of Rome and the rise of Germanic power reshaped European history.