Monopolies Through Complexity

The Shang Dynasty’s monopoly on divination, which they attained through adding procedural complexity, first made me think of the Roman Catholic Church’s hold on power through keeping the bible and services in Latin, so that non-Latin speakers would have to use them as their translator in godly communications.

But, then I realised it’s similar to the behaviour of anyone who jumps on some disruptive technology first, then tries to make what should be a temporary advantage, permanent. These monopolies are usually broken up when someone comes along and makes the technology widely available (e.g. open source). This then leads to a raising of standards for all of society.

Terms and conditions are perhaps less accessible to commoners today than were oracle bones during the Shang Dynasty in 1500 BCE.

The Zhou, who succeeded the Shang in 1050 BCE, did this when they made writing available outside the practice of divination.

The Christians inadvertently did this when their practice of teaching literacy, so that they would have more bible readers, led to people reading and writing on non-Christian matters.

At least in the West, the practice of law is also monopolized through purposeful complexity: corporations retain preferential access to “justice” with their incomprehensible terms and conditions, just as the Shang did to the heavens with their oracle bones. Terms and conditions are perhaps less accessible to commoners today than were oracle bones during the Shang Dynasty in 1500 BCE.