Marriage is a concept in human civilization that has existed since the rise of civilization. It involves the cohabitation of a man and a woman historically, in order to provide a stable companionship and a tranquil environment for their children to grow up. In the article here, I will be discussing aspects of marriage, for who is it more beneficial, changes in the institution of marriage through the ages, and what would happen if it suddenly disappeared. Below is the rough structure that we will follow: -

0. History of Marriage

1. Benefits of Marriage to Men

2. Benefits of Marriage to Women

3. Consequences of the Dissolving of the Institution of Marriage

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                                                                                                                      History of Marriage

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Since humans descended from apes, it's as well to assume that our mating and cohabitation rituals were similar to animals as well. And animals, with some exceptions and adaptations, live in packs. Packs were a precursor to the human tribal system. Packs usually had an alpha and several females, betas, and cubs (in case of say, wolves) or multiple males and females living together (say gorillas). When humans formed pastoralist societies, they were usually led by a chieftain. The Chieftain had the pick of the tribe's women and multiple wives. Other tribals had concubines in decreasing order and the quantity was regulated according to the dynamics of the tribe. It was only when humans started settling in villages, forming civilizations that monogamous marriage as we know today came in concrete form.

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Since men were dominant in the earliest societies, we will see the Need for marriage/concubinage from their perspective. They were threefold: -

1) Bearing and Raising Children

2) Household Tasks (Cooking/Cleaning)

3) Sex/Companionship

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In pastoralist societies like Mongols, Arabs, Scythians, African tribes, and others, polygamy was encouraged because of several reasons. Firstly, the morals of society were based around strength and survival. And leaders were formed on the basis of their virility and strength. The strongest and dominant males got their choice of women and were encouraged to father many children due to the constant warfare that necessitated the need for able-bodied men. In agrarian and settled societies, on the other hand, monogamy was more popular due to reasons like orderliness, relative peace, comparatively more egalitarianism and interaction with non-kin. 

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The population thrived in such societies because the food was abundant. People were employed in relatively more peaceful and settled activities which required stability and concentration. They also interacted with others who weren't their kin and thus a certain dynamics was expected which would keep the peace between all citizens. Multiple spouses generated resentment, induced debauchery over industriousness and left people with less time for their labours. Monogamy was thus in favour more than polygamy.

With the advent of organized religion, monogamy amongst the masses was popularized and encouraged to an even larger extent as it was definitely a practice that masses could follow. Polygamy slowly started getting restricted to specific cults, elites and areas where racial and political disparity was huge. 

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                                                                                                                    Modern Marriage

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Now we jump to the Modern Age, defined by the mass-following of Englightenment Ideals across the world (barring few dictatrships & theocracies). Here, we see without many exceptions, the pattern of monogamy in late 20s and with 2 kids, followed everywhere. So, now we'd be judging the modern institution of marriage rather than the old. And since people still continue to marry, there ought to be certain benefits to each participant. We'll start by defining the benefits of marriage to men first: -

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0) Child Birth, Raising & Nurture [Womb, Feeding & Caring; Teaching Basic Manners and Virtues]

1) Free Sex                                     [No Wooing or Payments]

2) Home Management                 [Cleanliness & Orderliness of the Home; House Purchase (Groceries, Decorations & Necessities ]

3) Constant Companionship        [ Satiation of Social Needs ]

Benefits to Women: -

1) Child Birth & Raising                [Insemination, Protection while nurturing, Money]

2) Monetary Supplement             [During Larger Purchases like House/Car]

3) Physical Guardianship              [From rougher elements & crowds; Usage of heavier toolery]

4) Emotional Support                   [Shoulder to cry on, Reassurage]

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The above are of course, idealistic needs which anyone would welcome but doesn't necessarily get. And with the advancement of technologies & societies, we see individuals coping up the needs without the need of spouses. Lastly, not everyone has the needs described above. And thus, with increasing propserity, we see people following their genetically codified tendencies and completely avoiding marriage altogether if it doesn't align with their likes and goals. Some avoid marriage due to circumstances and ecological factors, but those are found mostly in lesser progressive societies. 

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                                                                                                        Dissolving the Institution of Marriage

Now, here we will discuss why would marriage dissolve and what would be the consequences of it. The three primary reasons, why marriage as an institution could fail are: -

1) Anti-Male Legalisations 2) Rapid Scientific Advancement 3) Cultural Overhaul 4) Chaotic Anarchy 5) Long Term Ecological Disaster 6) Genetic Changes

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