A Theory of the Origin of the State
- 21 August 1970
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 169 (3947) , 733-738
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.169.3947.733
Abstract
In summary, then, the circumscription theory in its elaborated form goes far toward accounting for the origin of the state. It explains why states arose where they did, and why they failed to arise elsewhere. It shows the state to be a predictable response to certain specific cultural, demographic, and ecological conditions. Thus, it helps to elucidate what was undoubtedly the most important single step ever taken in the political evolution of mankind.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Eastern North American Archaeology: A SummaryScience, 1967
- CULTURAL CAUSALITY AND LAW: A TRIAL FORMULATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CIVILIZATIONSAmerican Anthropologist, 1949