The Hive

The Beehive, (Het Bijenkorf), or in full The Beehive, or A treatise on how a pluralistic society, when benefited with a benevolent parental figure, functions better than one ruled by an absolute Sovereign, is a 1664 treatise on political organization and government, written by Thomaas Schmeckly, the Lord Assessor of the city of 'S-Rivibocht. It is a direct response to a much earlier work by a former Daar of the Senate, Julius Kracht, who argued for a monarchial and centralized government in his 1604 essay Gigantia.

Historical Context
Schmeckly wrote the book while acting as the equivalent of an Attorney General for the lands controlled by the city of des Rivier-Bocht, a small city considered the inferior to Godenhaven. Like that bigger city, 'S-Rivibocht (as the city would become known) had a peculiar agreement with the peasants of the countryside where they could elect to reject appointed lords over their land. Despite not being as prosperous as their neighbor, 'S-Rivibocht had known several decades of peace and profit, whereas Godenhaven had been sacked 3 times during the Senatorial wars which pitted the interests of landed merchant-noblemen and the decentralized confederacy against the rising interests of several centralist Daars. One of these said Daars was Juul Kracht, who wrote and published an essay called "Gigantia", which argued that human society needed a central, strong, and powerful leader from whom sovereignty originated, and whom had sole competency to be sovereign.

Writing decades after Kracht, and several years after the Daar had died, Schmeckly was a minor rising star in the politics of the late Eduran Confederation. He was of the decentralist faction, the party which represented the interests of the individual city and provincial councils and patricians, as opposed to the centralist faction, who desired a stronger state, with the Daar firmly at its head- when they could agree who that should be, which was rare. Despite Schmeckly not being landed, nor having a fleet of trading vessels- two qualifiers typically required for being a nobleman- Schmeckly had risen as a lawyer to eventually become Chief Assessor, a position that was sort of a mix between an Attorney General and a minor judge.

He wrote The Beehive during the Daar's Consort Jewelery Crisis, in which the two factions nearly came to blows on the floor of the Senate, and several members were disowned by their respective cities. In it, the chief politicians for the centralist cause had brought back some argument's from Daar Juuls Kracht's book, and cited the violence as evidence for their position. Schmeckly, once news had reached him, immediately started writing in February, and was finished by December.

Contents and Philosophy
In The Beehive, Schmeckly uses the example of a beehive to explain how human society functions best when each person commits themselves to their appointed place in life, but is afforded the fruits of their labor, and most importantly, has a part to play in how the state is run. Having tried and failed at running a mead-hall, and being a hobby apiarist, Schmeckly knew that while the queen bee has a monarchial title in some languages, their role is that of a simple doting mother, and have no ability to dictate how the hive is run. During most times, in fact, few bees decide anything, with the bees being content to do their jobs as required, with no complaint. However, when it comes time to move to a new area to build a hive, Schmeckly had noticed that the swarms formed by the bees would send out scouting parties, which would return. His observations seemed to suggest that the bees reported their findings, and then collectively decided which new location would be best. Incidentally, some consider The Beehive to be the discovery of honeybee swarming behavior and their almost democratic nature.

Like this, Schmeckly argued, any executive or sovereign should rule with a light touch, simply be an overseer, and most decision making should be left to the legislative body and its constituents. In the first part of the book, Schmeckly details the different "Estates", namely the landed-merchants, civil servants, the shopkeepers, craftsmen, and peasants, and explains how, during peacetime, they should all do their appointed part in life with diligence and little complaint. However, when one estate become corrupt or lazy- like when the queen bee becomes infertile- he argues that the other estates have a right to throw the failed one out, and replace it. In times of trouble or change or upheaval, Schmeckly also advocated expanding the electorate, like how the bees collectively decided their new home.

Publication history
Published in 16whatever, under a pen name, The Beehive was an instant success among the upper classes, and the ever-more enfranchised and educated middle class, as well as the peasants who had won the right to literacy education in some villages. After it came out that Schmeckly was the author, it boosted his carrier, serving as a Senator for 1670-1675.

Sources Cited
1. dees knuts