In theory a set of good rules can reduce management demand, freeing up lord-hours.
In practice nearly everyone who needs rules can't follow the rules. Frequently because they don't have the verbal acuity to understand what the rules are telling them to do. Sometimes because they have personality disorders leading to deviant behaviour. Sometimes because they just want you to prove you can enforce the rules.
Regardless, it means trying to replace supervision with rules leads to supervising the rules, rather than a genuine gain.
Over time, servants can learn what orders the master will give, but this takes a long time. Constituted of classical conditioning, mainly. Moreover, the system is rigid. It's suitable for a stagnant economy, not a wealthy, dynamic system of trade. The lord still has to monitor conditions to ensure that he would, indeed, continue to offer the same commands.
No comments:
Post a Comment