The article examines the middle class and its impact on economic growth and social structure by comparing Ancient Rome with modern Western society. It has been suggested that although the middle class was not clearly defined during the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire, an economically active group of freedmen with rights to trade and property ownership essentially filled this role, driving economic expansion. It is noted that the modern Western middle class is faced with the problems of declining incomes, limited social mobility and growing inequality. These problems are associated with the fact that the middle class is moving from creating value to simply distributing wealth, along with the growing influence of parasitic social groups, which, according to the author, contribute to the decline of the middle class.Drawing on the historical example of Rome, the text highlights how freedmen, driven by a desire to succeed in trade, helped build and develop economies rather than simply redistribute wealth. The author advocates examining this historical precedent to identify ways to protect and strengthen the modern middle class.
middle class, Ancient Rome, freedmen, economic development, redistribution of wealth, modern society, historical experience
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