Solomon forced down a sip of sweet hot tea, careful not to spill it on his clothes or the precious book in his hands.
"This is the breakfast reading group. That's all you have to say?" he asked, glancing at young Lorna curled up in her seat.
Lorna scratched the skin above her socks and shrugged carelessly. At first, Solomon and Athena had considered sending her to the Mutual Aid Society, but after learning its relapse rate, he'd abandoned the idea and instead placed her in his morning reading sessions—held at least once a week during vacations, on days when Solomon would force himself to get out of bed and away from the witches, sit at the breakfast table, and begin studying. Lorna didn't exactly hate the reading sessions, and Solomon's private library held many rare volumes centuries old, purchased from collectors, that most people could only find in university archives.
But compared to Solomon's mechanical modifications, historical research, or magical experiments in the study, Lorna welcomed the grey short-haired cat that always leapt onto the desk on time and knocked over the inkwell.
"A bit too rational, not very appealing, and lacking human warmth," she said. "If you arranged for Robbie Reyes to meet his brother—secretly, even—the story would get a happy ending, and the Ghost Rider would be much more willing to work for you. The Immortal City could make it happen, so why don't you?"
"Because of responsibility. Once Robbie Reyes became the Ghost Rider, his personal significance ceased to exist—what matters is the Ghost Rider's function. It sounds cold, but it's reality. The Ghost Rider's responsibility far outweighs the value of 'Robbie Reyes' as an individual. If he can't fulfill that responsibility, he'll suffer just like Johnny Blaze, and seeing Gabe Reyes would only make him more miserable. There's a reason Johnny Blaze stays away from his girlfriend. Even if Kamar-Taj could keep them together, he'd still have to travel constantly for his tasks—because he must shoulder that responsibility."
"You sure about that?"
"This question extends into the balance between collective and individual interests, and also into the differing priorities of patriarchal and matriarchal societies—because the patriarchal model is where the non-bloodline concept of the 'state' arose, along with the broader human community. To understand it, we have to go back to the dawn of human civilization, before the concepts of nation or ethnicity existed—back when fishing and hunting, an unstable food source, dominated. At that time, the strongest individuals monopolized resources—this was the first patriarchal society. Strong individuals guarded the group and in return took more food. In a primitive hunting environment, this was the optimal survival model. But this patriarchal stage was short-lived—perhaps only decades—too brief to leave behind a civilization, because primitive agriculture emerged. That was humanity's first step toward evolution into something more than an animal."
Solomon sipped his tea and continued. "With the rise of primitive farming and animal husbandry, matriarchal societies emerged. Women, central to both reproduction and economic life, gained respect and dominance, practicing a primitive form of communal ownership. Matriarchy cared for everyone—even those unable to feed themselves could survive. There was only collective interest; personal interest did not exist, because all resources were shared equally. Sounds beautiful and correct, doesn't it?"
Listening to Solomon had one drawback—you needed the knowledge base to keep up. The orphanage curriculum had no reading lists before each term, so kids often found themselves lost mid-lecture. Fortunately, Lorna—having been made to read Athena's selection at the orphanage—could keep pace with him.
"All this rests on one important premise: group survival. Without the context of the era's productivity, the discussion is meaningless." Solomon beckoned, and an invisible servant brought books and photographs from the shelves. "The matriarchal equal distribution was only possible because there were no food surpluses—without sharing, some would starve. Bloodlines could be traced in matriarchy, and blood ties brought trust and security, allowing for equal distribution. If patriarchy and private ownership had arisen then, the tribe would have perished."
"Productivity determines everything."
"Exactly." The magus nodded approvingly. "In matriarchal societies, men still hunted, provided security, and fought wars—only the core of the tribe was held together by the highest point of the maternal bloodline, the grandmother. Matriarchies had more men than women, and women bore the burden of bringing in outside genes to sustain the tribe. With the high risks of childbirth, primitive fertility cults arose. If you believe fools who claim that returning to matriarchy would end war, you're naïve. Beyond the tribe, there was no peace—war captives were food, not people. It was through these external wars that the seeds of patriarchy reappeared. But patriarchy's resurgence awaited the next leap in agricultural technology, the advent of agrarian society—humanity's second stage: the slave society. Men's muscular appeal to women came from strength meaning more food and better protection for the tribe."
"You still haven't gotten to the point."
"Patience. You'll hear it before lunch." Solomon pushed The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State toward her. "History repeats itself; we can see the future's shape in it. When this lesson is over, that book will be your homework. Write me an essay on patriarchy and private property—but remember, private property isn't exclusive to patriarchy. If productivity is high enough, matriarchy can have it too. As for why patriarchy overtook matriarchy in the agricultural age: productivity, war, and reproduction."
"Population?"
"The ruling race will breed like rabbits—humans, for example. War consumes people, but the slave system of the agricultural era privatized enemy women and children, boosting population sharply. When patriarchy absorbed matriarchy, it began to form the concept of the state. With defined rights and responsibilities, patriarchal states became mutual-interest communities with immense war potential—this is the origin of nobility in human civilization. People online who call for a return to matriarchy and reject childbirth are either too selfish to bear social responsibility, or foolish enough to think matriarchy means matriarchal privilege, peace, and goodness—completely unaware that in matriarchy, women must bear the reproductive burden, whether they want to or not."
"That's surprising." Lorna blinked. "I've never heard Lady Minerva tell a story like this."
"Today, with weapons of mass destruction, the patriarchal traits of aggression, reproduction, and war-making capacity no longer apply. The atom bomb ended large-scale war, and with productivity decoupled from personal strength, matriarchal traits are reappearing. Despite Earth's population boom, over 60% of children in Europe are born out of wedlock. These show that modern society is moving back toward matriarchy—Engels was right. Farming killed matriarchy; the atomic bomb killed patriarchy. But—"
"—But everything before the word 'but' is crap!"
Solomon shot her a glare.
"But humanity's existential threats have never vanished. Predators beyond the veil of reality are watching our souls; alien species covet our resources and labor. In such circumstances, humanity must unite, shedding all attachments—property, gender, and so on—to survive and expand in this dark universe. Death makes all equal; extradimensional predators and aliens care nothing for your assets. Only by overcoming death and ascending—ruling all races within the galaxy—will we see true equality and peace again."
"I think I get what you mean."
"Now we return to Robbie Reyes. Whatever the system, the Ghost Rider's function is war, so he must bear his responsibility to the species. He must protect his family by protecting the human race from terrible threats—because if he doesn't, no one knows if his kin will be the next victims. Whether the Ghost Rider is male or female, this duty stands. It's not some abstract 'grand narrative,' but a survival problem that concerns all of us. To solve it, Robbie Reyes must be the Ghost Rider. Staying away from his family is both an emotional and rational choice—not just the cold logic you think. That's why he agreed to my terms: I'll reclaim Gabe Reyes from S.H.I.E.L.D. and see he's educated in a wealthy household. That's my duty as his ruler. We each shoulder a part of the burden; no one is exempt. For Robbie Reyes, my duty is to care for Gabe Reyes."
"You're chasing Plato's justice—you want an ideal state where everyone fulfills their role and duty," Lorna said. "But mutual understanding between people is hard. Don't think I haven't seen EVA."
Solomon shrugged indifferently. "Then I'll start with myself."
To avoid my readers falling into a vortex of foolish arguments (and I know some will), and since some have claimed this book 'promotes human supremacism,' I'm taking this chance to deconstruct the basics and recommend some essential reading. Reading makes one wise—that's truth. I know the so-called rational centrists will be mocked, but that doesn't stop us from seeing through appearances to the essence. And this debate itself proves why the Emperor preached Imperial Truth.
Online, whether arguing or reasoning, it's fine to just enjoy yourself—it's not like the problem will be solved, nor will it be, unless it's by us.
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