"For be a man’s intellectual superiority what it will, it can never assume the practical, available supremacy over other men, without the aid of some sort of external arts and entrenchments, always, in themselves, more or less paltry and base."
Musing. Okay, wow. In this chapter, Ishmael fills us in on the political structure of the boat - who sleeps where, who eats where, who is superior to whom. Ishmael clearly feels that this structure is antiquated. He does, however, recognize that titles and traditions are necessary for those at the top of the food chain even though those titles and traditions are outdated and 'base.' What does that say about those at the top of the food chain?