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Beyond State Drafting a Prospective Anthropology

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Beyond State Drafting a Prospective Anthropology Beyond State Drafting a prospective anthropology Avel GUENIN{CARLUT October 16, 2020 Kairos Research 1 Table of Contents The deep roots of the State The heritage of early Statedom Navigating the near future of States Conclusion 2 Hobbes's Leviathan Rousseau's state of nature • Violence is essential to state • Humans are naturally good of nature • Civilization corrupts human • The social hinders natural nature violence But what is "civilisation" ? Historical opposition between two understanding of the State 3 Rousseau's state of nature • Humans are naturally good • Civilization corrupts human nature But what is "civilisation" ? Historical opposition between two understanding of the State Hobbes's Leviathan • Violence is essential to state of nature • The social hinders natural violence 3 But what is "civilisation" ? Historical opposition between two understanding of the State Hobbes's Leviathan Rousseau's state of nature • Violence is essential to state • Humans are naturally good of nature • Civilization corrupts human • The social hinders natural nature violence 3 Historical opposition between two understanding of the State Hobbes's Leviathan Rousseau's state of nature • Violence is essential to state • Humans are naturally good of nature • Civilization corrupts human • The social hinders natural nature violence But what is "civilisation" ? 3 The State States are centralised executive systems under the control of an elite caste, whose power is mediated through taxation, symbolic domination, and monopoly of violence. So how did State societies emerge ? What is a State ? 4 So how did State societies emerge ? What is a State ? The State States are centralised executive systems under the control of an elite caste, whose power is mediated through taxation, symbolic domination, and monopoly of violence. 4 What is a State ? The State States are centralised executive systems under the control of an elite caste, whose power is mediated through taxation, symbolic domination, and monopoly of violence. So how did State societies emerge ? 4 The deep roots of the State Human evolutionary complex Humans individuals display extremely complex adaptive behaviour, which they acquire trough cultural transmission (Boyd et al., 2011). Human societies organise as adaptive units due to collective cultural traits, the enforcement of horizontal social norms, and other forme of coordination (Wilson et al., 2008, 2013). Neolithic transition Wide scale transition in human societies toward dense settlement with specialised economies relying on intensive agriculture, starting from typically semi-nomadic and horizontal hunter gatherer societies dominating before 12 000 BC. What was before States ? 5 Neolithic transition Wide scale transition in human societies toward dense settlement with specialised economies relying on intensive agriculture, starting from typically semi-nomadic and horizontal hunter gatherer societies dominating before 12 000 BC. What was before States ? Human evolutionary complex Humans individuals display extremely complex adaptive behaviour, which they acquire trough cultural transmission (Boyd et al., 2011). Human societies organise as adaptive units due to collective cultural traits, the enforcement of horizontal social norms, and other forme of coordination (Wilson et al., 2008, 2013). 5 What was before States ? Human evolutionary complex Humans individuals display extremely complex adaptive behaviour, which they acquire trough cultural transmission (Boyd et al., 2011). Human societies organise as adaptive units due to collective cultural traits, the enforcement of horizontal social norms, and other forme of coordination (Wilson et al., 2008, 2013). Neolithic transition Wide scale transition in human societies toward dense settlement with specialised economies relying on intensive agriculture, starting from typically semi-nomadic and horizontal hunter gatherer societies dominating before 12 000 BC. 5 Hierarchy and agriculture Private property facilitates the emergence the labour-intensive production of captable surplus (Bowles and Choi, 2019). In turn, captable production surplus allow for the emergence of increasingly polarised societies (Darmangeat, 2013). The development of the "State complex" 6 The development of the "State complex" Hierarchy and agriculture Private property facilitates the emergence the labour-intensive production of captable surplus (Bowles and Choi, 2019). In turn, captable production surplus allow for the emergence of increasingly polarised societies (Darmangeat, 2013). 6 The development of the "State complex" Hierarchy and agriculture Private property facilitates the emergence the labour-intensive production of captable surplus (Bowles and Choi, 2019). In turn, captable production surplus allow for the emergence of increasingly polarised societies (Darmangeat, 2013). 6 Debt (Graeber, 2011) Coercion (Scott, 2017) Debt is an instituated Administrative elites exert legal obligation to provide an and military domination over economic service in the future, the wider population, and may often measured in standard coerce their sedentary exchange units (eg grain or population into providing work money). It typically results or surplus production for the from an agreement to exchange State. In addition, early States some service now for a greater typically made use of war, raids, service later, and therefore and trade to provide slave allows her to profit from the workers for the State and elite. debted work's at a bargain. Economic captation in State societies 7 Coercion (Scott, 2017) Administrative elites exert legal and military domination over the wider population, and may coerce their sedentary population into providing work or surplus production for the State. In addition, early States typically made use of war, raids, and trade to provide slave workers for the State and elite. Economic captation in State societies Debt (Graeber, 2011) Debt is an instituated obligation to provide an economic service in the future, often measured in standard exchange units (eg grain or money). It typically results from an agreement to exchange some service now for a greater service later, and therefore allows her to profit from the debted work's at a bargain. 7 Economic captation in State societies Debt (Graeber, 2011) Coercion (Scott, 2017) Debt is an instituated Administrative elites exert legal obligation to provide an and military domination over economic service in the future, the wider population, and may often measured in standard coerce their sedentary exchange units (eg grain or population into providing work money). It typically results or surplus production for the from an agreement to exchange State. In addition, early States some service now for a greater typically made use of war, raids, service later, and therefore and trade to provide slave allows her to profit from the workers for the State and elite. debted work's at a bargain. 7 The heritage of early Statedom ... for institutional power Human exploitation... State institutions are efficient Rural State populations display for extracting work and markers of extreme deprivation ressources under centralised when compared to control, and consequently semi-nomadic population in display wider scale coordination similar ecologies. Urban than non-State societies. In populations, even more appropriate ecologies, they can disturbingly, displayed negative easily gain ground through demographic growth until trade and war Diamond (1997), recently Scott (2017). Turchin (2010). Was the Neolithic transition any good ? 8 ... for institutional power State institutions are efficient for extracting work and ressources under centralised control, and consequently display wider scale coordination than non-State societies. In appropriate ecologies, they can easily gain ground through trade and war Diamond (1997), Turchin (2010). Was the Neolithic transition any good ? Human exploitation... Rural State populations display markers of extreme deprivation when compared to semi-nomadic population in similar ecologies. Urban populations, even more disturbingly, displayed negative demographic growth until recently Scott (2017). 8 Was the Neolithic transition any good ? ... for institutional power Human exploitation... State institutions are efficient Rural State populations display for extracting work and markers of extreme deprivation ressources under centralised when compared to control, and consequently semi-nomadic population in display wider scale coordination similar ecologies. Urban than non-State societies. In populations, even more appropriate ecologies, they can disturbingly, displayed negative easily gain ground through demographic growth until trade and war Diamond (1997), recently Scott (2017). Turchin (2010). 8 Major evolutionary transition Major evolutionary transitions are the emergence of new organims from groups of individuals due to the selection of in group cooperation (Wilson et al., 2008), typically mediated by new modes of information transmission (Jablonka and Lamb, 2006), and culminating in the institution of central control (Stewart, 2020). States are characterised by : • large scale cooperation... • enforced by elite and central institutions... • mediated by administrative or legal written systems (Goody and Goody, 1986) Statedom as evolution's last major transition 9 States are characterised by : • large scale cooperation... • enforced by elite and central institutions... • mediated by administrative or legal written systems (Goody and Goody, 1986) Statedom as
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