Unlike earlier theorists like Hobbes or Locke, who imagined humans as originally solitary, Fukuyama uses sociobiology to argue that human sociability is innate and pre-dates the state.
Political development is not a straight line. For instance, Fukuyama credits the Catholic Church with destroying European tribalism by changing marriage and inheritance laws long before modern states emerged. The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman T...
A centralized authority with a legitimate monopoly on violence, capable of enforcing laws and collecting taxes. China is cited as the first society to develop a truly modern, impersonal state. Unlike earlier theorists like Hobbes or Locke, who
In The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution (2011), Francis Fukuyama attempts a monumental synthesis of history, biology, and sociology to explain why some societies have developed stable, modern political institutions while others remain trapped in tribalism or authoritarianism. A centralized authority with a legitimate monopoly on
Critics have largely praised the work as a "magisterial" and "audacious" achievement.
Mechanisms, such as parliaments or elections, that ensure the state serves the interests of the whole community rather than just its rulers. Key Themes and Arguments
Fukuyama argues that a stable modern liberal democracy requires a delicate balance of three distinct institutions: