The environments where thinkers and intellectual heritage flourish in history are positively correlated with the middle class. While philosophers are rarely seen in empires, they are more prevalent in democracies. Drawing an analogy with the act of thinking itself, we can say this is related to the time one can allocate to thought and the availability of an environment conducive to it.
1. Social Classes
For quality thinking, just as for a quality thinker, anxieties such as the struggle for survival must be minimal. In Ancient Greek, the word schole—the root of “school”—means “leisure.” it points to the intellectual having free time and choosing to spend it on learning. While basic life necessities must be met, this is not a sufficient condition on its own. Other requirements include a culture open to consultation and the existence of circles independent of politics. The Greeks did not practice philosophy simply because they were wealthy; they possessed characteristics distinct from much wealthier societies. Chief among these was having more people at a middle-income level who also held decision-making roles, which in turn brought about individualization. (See: Why did philosophy begin in Greece?)
2. Dissemination to the Grassroots
In classical empires, knowledge is held by a limited, elite circle. In Ancient Greece and modern nation-states, there is no such restriction. Furthermore, today, information spreads easily to everyone thanks to the internet. Are there more thinkers today, then? No; as mentioned before, thinking has other prerequisite conditions. No single condition is sufficient, but one necessary condition is contact with knowledge. Knowledge spread more to the grassroots among democratic Greeks—who were forced to engage in trade and produce technical knowledge in multi-ethnic seas—than among people in the depths of the steppes.
3. Non-Profit Seeking Pursuits
In classical empires, pursuits that do not generate immediate profit are not encouraged. Incentives limited to the palace circle do not allow for the thinker who occupies themselves with questioning. In highly stratified societies, thoughts are not valued because people are judged solely by their income. For instance, science and art must be subsidized during their embryonic stages. Societies focused entirely on practical returns and gain cannot produce an intellectual tradition. It is necessary to allow people to be “useless”—provided, of course, that prior requirements, such as a good education, are met.
4. Form of Governance
If power is concentrated in a single hand or a specific group, the opinions of others carry no weight. In societies with a large middle class, a political balance is established. The democrat must concern themselves with state affairs; because they hold power, they can think without yielding, and if they make a mistake, there is room for redress.
5. Political Discourse
While stratified societies cultivate loyalty and submission, societies with a large middle class (or classless societies) cultivate negotiation and inquiry. State textbooks are the clearest indicators of this. If we compare textbooks from Switzerland and North Korea, it is easy to discern which will produce thinkers.
Conclusion
Let us add immediately: the middle class is democracy, and democracy is the middle class. If one is absent, the other cannot exist. The USA, for example, is not a democracy; it is a colonial empire using the label of democracy. Are there no intellectuals? There are, but they emerge from middle-class environments.
Kant, Descartes, and Aristotle lived in empires, supported non-democratic figures, and did not particularly like democracy. Plato and Socrates even attempted to dismantle democracy. However, let us not forget: they were all products of democratic environments that encouraged them to become individuals and to find the truth together through consultation.
