According to the article, “The Coming of the Laviathan” by Francis Fukuyama, I believe that it claims that all tribes will soon become a state by following a cycle that will help the tribes achieve and understand how to establish a centralized authority. I will summarize “The Coming of the Laviathan” and analyze the article on how its’ factors are needed for one to become a state and what Fukuyama argues. In the first section of the article, it shares how states differ from tribes. States have borders, social classes, a monopoly of force, and a central authority.
Tribes on the other hand share blood as borders, they are egalitarians, they lack enforcement, and they have no central authority. In the second section, The State as a Voluntary Social Contract, is about having a social contract for tribes that is needed for protection under invasion, which is why tribes need to become a state. It explains what is needed for a state and from a tribe. The third section that was focused on was on population density. Population density is needed for a state to form which services for a division of labor between the elites and non-elites.
Tribes should become a state to be able to settle issues of interest. People would not need to feel the need to work harder than others because of hierarchy. The fourth section, States as the Product of Violence and Compulsion, states that all human societies have once engaged in violence when one tries to take over another territory due to hierarchy. States and countries formed over time due to violence as well as tribes conquering people to give up their freedom and equalities for protection.
Maintaining political control over conquered people has led more hierarchy and eventually led to states forming. The fifth section discusses about circumscription and geographical-environmental factors. The article says that the finest way to form a state would be having limited areas that can be manageable and available at all times that can be protected from invaders. Citizens should use the environment to their greatest potential to guide the basics of a state. The last section states that, for state formation, it must be a product of charismatic authority.
In order for state formation you would need to have resources, a dense population, must be physically constrained, and have a willingness to be governed. You should also prevent forming a state where the climate disables you to expand resources and geologically where the population can grow. In the article, Fukuyama seems to create about what is needed to become a state is reasonable. To be a state; a government must establish orders, be in control, have a court system, and have a population.
I think that the purpose of this article is to inform readers about what it takes to form a state. Fukuyama’s argument is that all tribes will become a state by first possessing a source of authority. Being a state would prevent separation of regions from falling apart or being against each other. States would not hold boundaries based on who’s blood is who’s. It would create unity. He also argues that in a social contract, in a time of violence, being a state is the greatest idea because of guaranteed security.
Among the tribal societies, they are only secured with limited protection and as for a state there would be unlimited protection because of the rights they give up. I think that Fukuyama is trying to say that when the government is under invasion there would be support and protection at all times. Fukuyama informs the readers by introducing how important having a large population would benefit a state and technological innovations argued by a demographer, Ester Boserup.
Having a denser population is a product of growth. Fukuyama shows the idea of human societies engaging with violence and comparing tribal societies it is obviously safer than having to give up tribal equalities for protection. I agree how the author believes that this is why states eventually began to form. It is obvious that there must be resources used to the maximum potential and a population that is willing to be governed for comprehension is order to run a more perfect and satisfied union.
It is also obvious that tribes should be willing to move and prosper among a more better climate zones to expand and grow more resources. The article is exceptional due to true information on how to form a state under four conditions. There was no weakness shown in this article stating the fact that the cycle in order to run a state makes sense in terms of what is best for tribes. It’s evidence was strong and supportive due to the rising of tribes following after a central authority for overall protection from internal and external protection.