I don't know about the "long ancestry" part. Most of our ancestors were probably peasants, not so long ago.
As societies become more complex and more dense, specialization of labor occurs. This allows the arts and the sciences to flourish, but it also relegates people -- lots of people -- into jobs that are somewhat less desirable. The rugged individualist concept worked because people were spread out enough. Farmers today still have some of that mindset, at least the ones I have met at farmers' markets and such. In the city there is less room for individualism and more need for order.
But there are still entrepreneurs in cities. Does that count?
|