The Three States of Man General

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Serving as a figurative description of the ideal medieval society, the theory was that God divided society into three groups: warriors, clerics and peasants. The warriors were supposed to defend society and included nobility, soldiers and executors of state power. The clergy cared for salvation and education, and those serving the church and educated scholars could also be included here. The last category comprised the greatest mass of society; the task of the peasants was to work and feed the whole society.

A well-known Latin proverb says: Tu ora, tu protege, tu labora. (You pray, you protect, you work)
Though the division into classes is determinant and limits the freedom of social mobility, at the same time it guarantees social harmony. Everyone knows their place, what is expected of them and what plans God has for them.

It wasn’t until the 15th century that some church reformers began to dismantle this teaching. For example, Petr Chelčický (a follower of John Hus) came up with the bold thesis that all people are equal.

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