Why didn't the Soviet Union allow polygamy after World War II for European ethnic groups?

Discussions on other historical eras.
Nodeo-Franvier
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Re: Why didn't the Soviet Union allow polygamy after World War II for European ethnic groups?

#31

Post by Nodeo-Franvier » 23 May 2021, 08:44

gebhk wrote:
18 Feb 2021, 14:14
Some random thoughts

The thing is that by mechanisms which are very poorly if at all understood, the relevant male/female ratio, all things being equal, tends to revert to 1:1 very rapidly, naturally, after any upset.

I don't buy that Christian morality was a significant or even any factor in this. The Soviet regime clearly had no qualms about ignoring that fairly fundamental moral proscription 'thou shalt no kill', on an industrial scale. The only morality that mattered was that which promoted the wellbeing of the Soviet Union and/or of Comrade Stalin (the two, no doubt, viewed as much the same by the faithful). Had the interests of the Soviet Union been seen to be benefited by polygamy, I have little doubt that it would have been permitted and promoted; in much the same way that the views on abortion changed in line with perceived interests of the state. If it didn't happen it would have been because the lords and masters of the USSR did not see any benefit in it.

There is nothing inherently immoral or amoral in polygamy. Morality is merely a codification of cultural norms of behaviour. And marital arrangements vary, primarily dependent on economic reality. Where it is routinely possible for one man to support more than one family, having more than one wife is a reasonable arrangement. Clearly a 1:1 arrangement is one that works for most of humanity and may well have some roots in our hunter-gatherer origins. However, in particularly poor areas with an agricultural basis, two or more men sharing one wife is common - with the wives often shared by brothers (which makes entire sense to an evolutionary biologist).
Your image of Soviet Union seems to come from George Orwell.

gebhk
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Joined: 25 Feb 2013, 21:23

Re: Why didn't the Soviet Union allow polygamy after World War II for European ethnic groups?

#32

Post by gebhk » 23 May 2021, 11:29

Your image of Soviet Union seems to come from George Orwell.
I somewhat doubt it, as I've never read George Orwell aside from Animal Farm as a child. My point of reference is the preponderance of evidence from all my reading and, probably more importantly, the hands-on experience of my family, friends and acquaintances.


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