Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History Paperback – January 24, 2013

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Outstanding analysis

although this framework can be questioned, I am glad it has raised the issue of why certain societies tend to be more unstable than others. This franework requires more experimentation but it is very useful as a method of analysis

Just what I needed for my MHA/MBA program. Was a book required for the dual degree. Haven't read it yet as I am just starting the program.