Nesmith Library

The origins of political order, from prehuman times to the French Revolution, Francis Fukuyama

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

The origins of political order

bibliography

Francis Fukuyama

from prehuman times to the French Revolution

Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order

part I: Before the state. The necessity of politics -- The state of nature -- The tyranny of cousins -- Tribal societies : property, justice, war -- The coming of the leviathan -- part II: State building. Chinese tribalism -- War and the rise of the Chinese state -- The great Han system -- Political decay and the return of patrimonial government -- The Indian detour -- Varnas and jatis -- Weaknesses of Indian politics -- Slavery and the Muslim exit from tribalism -- The Mamluks save Islam -- The functioning and decline of the Ottoman state --- Christianity undermines the family -- part III: The rule of law. The origins of the rule of law -- The church becomes a state -- The state becomes a church -- Oriental despotism -- Stationary bandits -- part IV: Accountable government. The rise of political accountability -- Rente seekers -- Patrimonialism crosses the Atlantic -- East of the Elbe -- Toward a more perfect absolutism -- Taxation and representation -- Why accountability? Why absolutism? -- part V: Toward a theory of political development. Political development and political decay -- Political development, then and now