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Douglass Cecil North

Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History Paperback – December 10, 2012

by Douglass C. North (Author)

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All societies must deal with the possibility of violence, and they do so in different ways. This book integrates the problem of violence into a larger social science and historical framework, showing how economic and political behavior are closely linked. Most societies, which we call natural states, limit violence by political manipulation of the economy to create privileged interests. These privileges limit the use of violence by powerful individuals, but doing so hinders both economic and political development. In contrast, modern societies create open access to economic and political organizations, fostering political and economic competition. The book provides a framework for understanding the two types of social orders, why open access societies are both politically and economically more developed, and how some 25 countries have made the transition between the two types.

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Editorial Reviews

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"This much-anticipated, pioneering, sweeping millennial history explains how the evolution of impersonal and standardized treatment, a rule of law for elites, perpetual forms of organization, and consolidated political control of the military combined to produce the 'open access' logic of rent erosion and economic growth often observed in the modern world. Emphatically multi-causal in approach, the book will persuade all those who want to analyze the complex interactions of beliefs, institutions, and organizations that they have to deal with its arguments." - James Alt, Harvard University

"Why do we obey laws, adhere to rules, and conform to norms? Doug North, John Wallis, and Barry Weingast offer a simple, powerful, and compelling answer - disorder and the violence it entails. This book is must-reading for anyone serious about the origins of social order and the reasons for its disintegration." - Stephen Ansolabehere, Harvard University

"A masterful and revealing interpretation of how 'nasty, brutish, and short' became healthy, wealthy, and peaceful and why the transformation occurred in some nations but not in others." - Claudia Goldin, Harvard University

"Violence and Social Orders is a thought-provoking, pioneering, and ambitious study. It should be read by anyone interested in the institutional underpinning of development." - Avner Greif, Stanford University

"This book presents a powerful new theory of the interaction between law, politics, and the structure of power. It is sure to be influential for decades to come." - Daniel Klerman, University of Southern California

"Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? North, Wallis, and Weingast explain why - it's the politics stupid! A compelling book for anyone who wants to understand the world." - James A. Robinson, Harvard University

"A major work of great ambition, this book will become a standard reference in any informed discussion on how societies make the transition from anarchy to democracy, and from poverty to wealth." - Dani Rodrik, Harvard University

"Violence and Social Orders expands institutional economics into new realms, presenting an innovative perspective on the organization of pre-modern societies. Anthropologists and other social scientists will find much to think about in this important book." - Michael E. Smith, Arizona State University

"If anyone is iconic in the economic history world Doug North certainly qualifies.... This time, North is joined by two prominent and strong-minded co-authors, John Wallis and Barry Weingast. Their collaboration has been fruitful.... Above all, the notion that one cannot simply 'get rid' of the superficial exterior of natural states and thereby uncover the beating heart of an open access order yearning to be free is the book's most important idea, and profound." - EH.Net

"...an immodestly titled and immoderately stimulating book..." - Jonathan Rauch, The National Journal

Book Description

This book integrates the problem of violence into a larger social science and historical framework, showing how economic and political behavior are closely linked. In most societies, which we call natural states, the polity limits violence by manipulating the economy, creating privileges. In contrast, modern societies create open access to economic and political organizations, fostering political and economic competition.

Paperback: 346 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (December 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1107646995
ISBN-13: 978-1107646995
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 28 customer ratings
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #553,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9622 in Economics (Books)
- #1050 in Violence in Society (Books)
- #3276 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)

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Bruce Saunders

A Must Read for Students of History

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2015

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This book addresses similar subject matter to Why Nations Fail and The Origins of Political Order. All three address the historical development of societies and what factors affect their prosperity. All three books provide tremendous insight into historical reasons for economic disparity across societies.

What sets Violence and Social Orders apart are somewhat different assumptions; for example, the authors conceptualize societal elites as made up of coalitions, rather than being single actors. They also provide detailed descriptions of stages of societal development and a thorough articulation of the conditions involved in transitioning societies from one stage to the next. For example, they describe three "doorstep" conditions required to move a society from what they call a mature natural state to an open access social order. The second assumption - the creation of perpetually lived organizations - was particularly eye opening.

This is a demanding read. Three authors has resulted in a sometimes challenging prose style. And the level of detail can be daunting, for example the in-depth analysis of 500 years of English Land Law. But it is well worth it. Violence and Social Orders offers fascinating insight to any student of history; it will help the reader understand why seemingly dysfunctional societies continue to persist today.

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A. Menon

Very well written, though not as unique as proposed

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2012

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Violence and Social Orders discusses the stages of political economy and the process of evolution of the stages. The authors outline 3 stages, foraging stage, the natural stage and the open access stage. Foraging orders (not discussed in any detail) pertain to human society in the hunter gatherer stage in which relationships were kin based and constrained to small groups. Natural orders, which have many stages, are defined by the balance of power of elites. And open access orders are societies whose social contracts are defined by impersonal rights. Violence and Social Orders discusses human history by analyzing the transition and periodicity of these social orders. It discusses many case examples amd examines what the stresses and strains are that each face. Perhaps not as original as the authors describe, the account is nonetheless well argued and very readable.

Written history has mainly been recorded in a period that the authors describe as a natural state. The natural state they argue formed through the cooperation of elites to reduce violence in exchange for power sharing. One can easily imagine the example of powerful small group leaders agreeing to allow each other to focus on productivity in exchange for cease fires. In such situations, the authors contend that the absense of violence does not imply its lack of precence in the indirect but just as important manifestation- the threat of violence. The authors generally use specific case examples to highlight their points. Within natural states the authors spend much time discussing the difference between the elites as individuals vs elites as being within a social group of entitled power. This difference, though subtle is very substantive and the transition from the individual being the focus to the station of the person being of focus is the required transition for natural orders to make before they have the preconditions to move to open access orders. The case examples of England is extensively studied and continually offered as a guide to how these processes unfolded in England in particular.

Many examples are used both for the disintegration of natural states as well as the transition to open access orders. For the disintigration of the Carolingian period as well as Aztec civilization are used. The momentum of progress of the English social contract is analyzed with details provided from the beauracratizing of the navy to the growth of the industrial sector and the wealth arising from it reducing the power of landed gentry. The authors continually make the point that progress is not inevitable and the rights of the individual can move both forward and backwards and have done in history numerous times.

Violence and the Social Order is a discussion of how institutions are at the heart of what makes societies different. One needs institutional arrangements that support enforcement of the social contract for it to be realized. If courts dont enforce the rights of the impersonal individual then law by decree is ineffective. As a result, democracy is no guarantee of open access for its citizens. The authors write well and make important points- though i think the emphasis on violence is a bit forced in the title and generally the authors focus on political economy. Rights to the means of production cannot be taken merely by force and the more appropriate focus should be on power. One can say its the violence and the threat of violence and it is not wrong, but it seems misapplied phrasing. The lessons of the book are similar to other literature, society is more able to adapt when rent seeking is minimal and entrepreneurship is maximal which is necessitated by an open access system. The analysis of how we can move between regimes is very interesting and the case examples are illuminating, but i dont think the arguments are as groundbreaking as the authors consider them.

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Marc

A must read

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019

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Certainly among the best books to understand how societies evolve and how political orders change. Not always an easy read and can be quite dense, but always very well argued and provides a unique framework to understand the step changes in social orders. A must read.

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Davit Sandukhchyan

Interesting and innovative

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2015

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Very innovative approach towards the modernisation of societies explaining the core elements of traditional and open societies. The book might be interesting for both political scientists and practicing political technologists. Most of the traditional democracy theories refer to benefits of open society, but does not explain how open society and economic success are interlinked. This book provides a clear explanation how open political regimes contribute to economic growth and that open society is something every nation may reach, but only those who deserve.

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Dmitry Baranov

Some powerful ideas but no recommendations

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015

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This book brings up several powerful ideas, and the most important one is that open access order cannot be exported. Instead, each country's elites may (or may not) figure out that open access order is more benefical to them. Next, there is no natural "progress" towards open access orders, and, in fact, most countries in the world still have limited-access orders. Finally, those lucky and smart countries which shifted into open access order and got tremendous benefits from this transition, should not take it for granted.

However, the book fails to provide practical recommendations and could probably have less pages.

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R. Richard Schweitzer

A more compelling way to view humna development as organized societies.

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2015

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Densely written in early parts. It is a culmination of work going back as far as an Nber Working Paper in 2006. The reader will gain by making notes while reading. It provides a fully researched way of looking at the development of human social organizations, and the spectacular few that resemble our own.

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rhhardin

Nice Way of Seeing Western Culture not Spreading

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018

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The added forward and afterward are also a good summary of the entire theory.

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Ashley

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2018

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works great!

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Billy Christmas

Major errors in printing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2020

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The printing is shockingly poor quality. Not only is the image on the front cover poorly aligned, but there is a page where half of the text is literally missing.

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Nilvan Vieira da Silva

Excelente

Reviewed in Brazil on April 30, 2019

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Um tema de suma importância para todas as pessoas, no sentido de entender cientificamente o desenvolvimento das nações. E para quem não fala e nem entende inglês há o ótimo recurso de tradução.

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Antonio

Una obra importante

Reviewed in Spain on February 14, 2013

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Una edición muy cuidada, de gran calidad, pero eso no es lo más importante. Lo más importante es que se trata de un libro importante. Las tesis presentadas (la reconstrucción de los rasgos básicos de los órdenes sociales en función del modo en que sus miembros y básicamente las élites sociales lidian con el problema de la violencia y la clasificación de los órdenes sociales en primitivos, estados naturales y sociedades de acceso abierto) son realmentes interesantes y de amplio alcance. La tesis como tales tiene tal alcance que quizás debieran haber sido respaldadas empíricamente más de lo que lo están en el libro, con un aporte adicional de casos actuales o históricos, aunque supongo que esto es algo que podrán hacer otros inspirados.

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Azalea Canales

Excelente

Reviewed in Mexico on June 20, 2019

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Un libro excelente para cualquier interesado en el trabajo del Premio Nobel Douglass C. North.

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raymond loveridge

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2016

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