ABSTRACT
Patriarchalism was as necessary to establish the continuity of political society as it had been to give validity to the division of humanity into political societies. The value of Patriarcha as a historical document consists primarily in its revelation of the strength and persistence in European culture of the patriarchal family form and the patriarchal attitude to political problems. The words Patriarch and Patriarchal, with the modern generalized term Patriarchalism, have more than one definition and are used to cover both a particular institution and a general attitude. The patriarchal family came down to Filmer as one of the stablest features of European culture. There is not enough evidence to show whether the great culture change which took place over the much debated period between medieval and modern times was accompanied, or perhaps partially caused, by a change in the ethical pattern of family life.
