6.1.2

Cosmic & Social Hierarchy

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The 'Great Chain of Being': Cosmic & Social Hierarchy

The ‘Great Chain of Being’ refers to a belief developed in medieval Christian societies that the world and universe were ordered by God.

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The ‘Great Chain of Being’

  • This order took the form of a structure where every living thing was ‘ranked’ according to their status – a hierarchy.
  • At the top of the cosmic hierarchy was God, followed by the angels, then humankind and descending down further through animals and plant life to minerals.
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Mirroring the Great Chain

  • The idea of a social hierarchy mirrored the Great Chain.
    • The King or Queen (appointed by God) was the supreme power in society, followed by the nobility, then common humanity.
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Did hierarchy stabilise states?

  • Some scholars have argued that the belief in a rigid cosmic and social hierarchical system helped stabilise nation-states in medieval Christian Europe, making acts of rebellion a crime against a divinely ordered universe.

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1Introduction

2Plot Summary

3Character Profiles

4Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

6Context

7Critical Debates

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