A Theory of the Origin of the State

1970/08/21 by Robert L. Carneiro · 22 citations
Social Sciences · #Political Economy and Marxism

paper · doi:10.1126/science.169.3947.733

openalex publication_date 1970/08/21 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

In summary, then, the circumscription theory in its elaborated form goes far toward accounting for the origin of the state. It explains why states arose where they did, and why they failed to arise elsewhere. It shows the state to be a predictable response to certain specific cultural, demographic, and ecological conditions. Thus, it helps to elucidate what was undoubtedly the most important single step ever taken in the political evolution of mankind.

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