A landmark history of the origins of modern democratic societies by
one of our most important political thinkers.
A New York Times Notable Book for 2011
A Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year 2011 Title
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction of 2011 title
Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over
time most developed new political institutions which included a central
state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all
citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to
their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they are
absent or are unable to perform in many of today's developing
countries--with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.
Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestselling The End of History and the
Last Man and one of our most important political thinkers, provides a
sweeping account of how today's basic political institutions developed.
The first of a major two-volume work, The Origins of Political Order
begins with politics among our primate ancestors and follows the story
through the emergence of tribal societies, the growth of the first
modern state in China, the beginning of the rule of law in India and the
Middle East, and the development of political accountability in Europe
up until the eve of the French Revolution.
Drawing on a vast body of knowledge--history, evolutionary biology,
archaeology, and economics--Fukuyama has produced a brilliant,
provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic
societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics
and its discontents.
