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Origins of the state and civilization: The process of cultural evolution
How did civilized life begin? How did government arise? These questions have intrigued philosophers and historians since ancient times. In this volume, Elman R. Service, an anthropologist widely known for his studies of evolution and social organization, uses a unique mix of ethnology, history, and archaeology in exploring the origins and early development of political organization.
In Part I, 'The Origins of Government,' Service outlines the basic patterns of power and authority that structure even the most primitive societies, showing how these patterns become elaborated as simple egalitarian societies evolve into more complex hierarchical forms. He also discusses classic theories of government from the Enlightenment through Marx and Engels to the modern social scientist.
Part II, 'The Modern Primitive States,' illustrates the development of institutionalized government; among the societies discussed are the Zulu and the Ashanti in Africa, the Cherokee in North America, and Hawaii in Oceania.
Part III, 'The Archaic Civilizations,' looks at the six primary ancient civilizations... in Mesoamerica, Peru, Mesopotamia, Egypg, the Indus River Valley, and China... in light of the historical and ethnographical data.
We should not expect to find, Service argues, that primitive cultures mirror the basic structures of modern society. In particular, he takes a critical look at the theory that the state... defined by the presence of repressive, formal-legal social controls based on physical force... is a necessary element in the development of civilization.
In Part I, 'The Origins of Government,' Service outlines the basic patterns of power and authority that structure even the most primitive societies, showing how these patterns become elaborated as simple egalitarian societies evolve into more complex hierarchical forms. He also discusses classic theories of government from the Enlightenment through Marx and Engels to the modern social scientist.
Part II, 'The Modern Primitive States,' illustrates the development of institutionalized government; among the societies discussed are the Zulu and the Ashanti in Africa, the Cherokee in North America, and Hawaii in Oceania.
Part III, 'The Archaic Civilizations,' looks at the six primary ancient civilizations... in Mesoamerica, Peru, Mesopotamia, Egypg, the Indus River Valley, and China... in light of the historical and ethnographical data.
We should not expect to find, Service argues, that primitive cultures mirror the basic structures of modern society. In particular, he takes a critical look at the theory that the state... defined by the presence of repressive, formal-legal social controls based on physical force... is a necessary element in the development of civilization.
361 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 1975
About the author
Elman R. Service
13 books6 followersMischa Elman Rogers Service, Ph.D. (Anthropology, Columbia University, 1951; B.A., English Literature; University of Michigan) was a theorist of cultural evolution and Professor of Anthropology at University of California at Santa Barbara, having previously taught at Columbia and the University of Michigan. He also served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Ethnological Society and was a member of the American Anthropological Association.
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January 3, 2011
Brings the Human study aspect to the ancient world.
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