---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Patriarchy has been the normal in almost…"
description: "\"“Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural and industrial societies. ...If patriarchy in Afro-Asia resulted from some chance occurrence..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg"
---

#  Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural…

![“Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural and industrial societies. ...If patriarchy in Afro-Asia resulted from some chance occurrence, why were the Aztecs and Incas patriarchal? It is far more likely that even though the precise definition of man and woman varies between cultures…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg)

> ““Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural and industrial societies. ...If patriarchy in Afro-Asia resulted from some chance occurrence, why were the Aztecs and Incas patriarchal? It is far more likely that even though the precise definition of man and woman varies between cultures, there is some universal biological reason why almost all cultures valued manhood over womanhood. We do not know what this reason is; there are plenty of theories, none of the convincing.””

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Patriarchy appears universal, suggesting possible biological or social roots, yet its exact cause remains uncertain.

**In simple terms:** Patriarchy is common, reasons unclear.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about gender hierarchies.

Themes

gender society history

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- anthropology studies
- policy debates
- education curricula

Key Concepts

biological determinism social construction power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence challenges universal patriarchy?
- How do modern societies resist patriarchal norms?

A Different Perspective

The claim may overlook cultural variations and non‑patriarchal societies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Incas Patriarchal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incas-patriarchal-3026061/) [Man and woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-woman/) [Manhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhood/) [Patriarchal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchal/) [Patriarchal society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchal-society/) [Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchy/) [Patriarchy Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchy-normal-3026059/) [Societies Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/societies-patriarchy-3026060/) [Womanhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/womanhood/)

## Related quotes

> [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Given the same honor and dignity as men, women can build a much better and more harmonious world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/given-the-same-honor-and-dignity-as-men-women-can-build-a-much-better/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Women of the thinking society are the builders of nations. Women of the sentient society are the builders of the world. And given the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/women-of-the-thinking-society-are-the-builders-of-nations-women-of/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Women are no sheep. Women are no fragile showpiece to be placed above the fire-place. Women of the thinking society are the builders of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/women-are-no-sheep-women-are-no-fragile-showpiece-to-be-placed-above/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“In a patriarchal society, one of the most important functions of the institution of the family is to make feel like a somebody whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/in-a-patriarchal-society-one-of-the-most-important-functions-of-the/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Formerly, many men dominated women within marriage. Now, despite a much wider acceptance of women as workers, men dominate women anonymously outside the marriage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/formerly-many-men-dominated-women-within-marriage-now-despite-a-much/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Women are no sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/women-are-no-sheep/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Remember, for a society to truly progress we don't need woman or man, we need a fully-fledged human - nothing short of that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/remember-for-a-society-to-truly-progress-we-don-t-need-woman-or-man/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Gender equality is not a belief, it is not an idea - it is a key element of the society that will define whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/gender-equality-is-not-a-belief-it-is-not-an-idea-it-is-a-key-element/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“All the bloodsheds in human history have been caused by men, not women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/all-the-bloodsheds-in-human-history-have-been-caused-by-men-not-women/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Any nation that does not learn to place women on the same pedestal of respect and dignity as men, will never in a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/any-nation-that-does-not-learn-to-place-women-on-the-same-pedestal-of/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Any book that spreads weakness in the heart of one gender, and authoritarianism in the other, must be burnt to ashes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/any-book-that-spreads-weakness-in-the-heart-of-one-gender-and/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“I am a scientist who studies the human mind, including the sexual differences in mental faculties, and I am telling you, ten female thinkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-a-scientist-who-studies-the-human-mind-including-the-sexual/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“I am no feminist. Even though the term "feminism" is founded upon the basic principle of gender equality, it possesses its own fundamental gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-no-feminist-even-though-the-term-feminism-is-founded-upon-the/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [It's patriarchal society that has freed me as a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/it-s-patriarchal-society-that-has-freed-me-as-a-woman/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

## More by Yuval Noah Harari

> [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

[Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## More Culture quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/)

[Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/)

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/)

[Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/)

> [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/)

[Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-think-it-s-useful-to-experience-other-types-of-dance-and-other/)

[Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I don't think the distinction between high and low culture exists anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scott/i-don-t-think-the-distinction-between-high-and-low-culture-exists/)

[Jeremy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scott/)

> [You get below the Mason-Dixon line and you have some of the best music, culture, the two races, the literature, and it's so rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/you-get-below-the-mason-dixon-line-and-you-have-some-of-the-best/)

[Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [“Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/being-grounded-in-your-lifelong-culture-and-your-personal-perspective/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

[Browse all 15,940 Culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural and industrial societies. ...If patriarchy in Afro-Asia resulted from some chance occurrence, why were the Aztecs and Incas patriarchal? It is far more likely that even though the precise definition of man and woman varies between cultures, there is some universal biological reason why almost all cultures valued manhood over womanhood. We do not know what this reason is; there are plenty of theories, none of the convincing.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yuval Noah Harari"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost-all-agricultural-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Culture"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost-all-agricultural-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/yuval-noah-harari-100_culture_patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost_1931548.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Patriarchy has been the normal in almost all agricultural and industrial societies. ...If patriarchy in…” — Yuval Noah Harari",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Yuval Noah Harari",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Patriarchy has been the normal in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost-all-agricultural-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/patriarchy-has-been-the-normal-in-almost-all-agricultural-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
