Man as in mankind.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man

>1a(1): an individual human

>b: the human race : HUMANKIND

>c: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished especially by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate (see ARTICULATE entry 1 sense 1a) speech and abstract reasoning, and is the sole living representative of the hominid family

We're obviously not putting the master branch in charge of exploiting a bunch of slave branches.

And "a man" doesn't refer to mankind/humankind.