The origins of political order
by Francis Fukuyama · first published 2011
69% recommend28% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
A systematic history of how states form, from hunter-gatherer bands to the French Revolution, comparing China, the Arab world and Europe. Suits readers curious about rule of law, accountability and state building.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2015–2026Political order and political decay
Francis Fukuyama
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 128 recommend · 12 mention8 recommend · 128 recommend
2013–2023In pursuit of the traveling salesman
William Cook
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 75 recommend · 7 mention5 recommend · 75 recommend
The end of history
Francis Fukuyama
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 371 recommend · 37 mention1 recommend · 371 recommend
2014–2025Stuff Matters
Mark Miodownik
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 98 recommend · 9 mention8 recommend · 98 recommend
2015–2025Language, truth and logic
A. J. Ayer
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 95 recommend · 9 mention5 recommend · 95 recommend
2013–2026The swerve
Stephen Greenblatt
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 138 recommend · 13 mention8 recommend · 138 recommend
2015–2026Moral tribes
Joshua David Greene
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 108 recommend · 10 mention8 recommend · 108 recommend
2007–2022The Third Chimpanzee
Jared Diamond
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 116 recommend · 11 mention6 recommend · 116 recommend
One of the most interesting facts in Francis Fukuyama's The Origins of Political Order was that the most primordial form of human social groupings, small bands of hunter gatherers, are organised along egalitarian and democratic lines, without any recognisable leader. There may be an individual…
on “Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (2013)” ↗…much of a gap between somebody like Francis Fukuyama and Moldbug as is popularly imagined. If you have a sincere interest in outcomes you find unexpected allies. Here is a good start: Volume 1: The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama Volume 2: Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama Seeing Like a State by James Scott Exit, Voice and Loyalty by Albert Hirschman The Problem of Political Authority…
on “Sam Altman’s Manifest Destiny” ↗I would take a look at Fukuyama's "Origins of Political Order" and "Political Order and Political Decay". The first hints of meritocracy were in China during the Qin and Han dynasties, where exams where used to provide positions in bureaucracy to those not of noble…
on “Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams” ↗I can suggest Francis Fukuyama's "Origins of Political Order" for a decent survey of that. Couple it with Steven Pinker's "Better Angels of Our Nature" for a holistic look at violence in human societies in general
on “The world's most toxic value system (2001)” ↗The Secret of Our Success on the co-evolution of humans and human culture. The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution on what are states, where do they come from, and how do they work? The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life is just what it…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?” ↗…that there were periods when the fusion between the two was less than perfect. If anyone reading wants to understand how weird Western Christendom was compared to comparable civilisations Fukuyama’s Origins of Political Order is a good place to start. If you’re interested in the relationship between Ummah and state in Islam which is very similar to Church State relationships in the Eastern Roman Empire look at Timur Kuran’s…
on “The extraordinary influence of the Iliad and Odyssey” ↗…and Hungary weren’t Prussia or Russia but they certainly weren’t England or Holland either. If you want to learn more about the various ways premodern societies ordered themselves Francis Fukuyama, Origins of Political Order, is a great place to start.
on “China unveils draft law to allow fully foreign-owned enterprises” ↗…book that made everything fall into place with respect to political history (and at some point, political philosophy) - and that I actually read before Harari and Diamond - was Francis Fukuyama's "The Origins of Political Order". An absolute must-read.
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…for the chief around here, come to him, plant the seed of thinking he actually is a king, and then it is easier to talk to just one guy than get everybody in agreement. This is better explained in "The Origins of Political Order" by Francis Fukuyama, if anybody is interested.
on “BHP to destroy at least 40 Aboriginal sites, up to 15K years old, to expand mine” ↗The Origins of Political Order: From prehuman times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origins_of_Political_Ord... The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York By Robert Caro…
on “Ask HN: Which book helped you understand the world?” ↗…government. In western civilizations monarchy powers slowly eroded and had to either give concessions or be overthrown in a violent revolt. This never happened in China. If you have doubts, just read The Origins of Political Order (Francis Fukuyama). This is well explained there. Ignore labels like "People's Republic of China", the fact is that people in China have only so much rights as it suits the government to give them for…
Reading Fukuyama's "The Origins of Political Order" and part 2, "Political Order and Political Decay" is a really good sweep on political progress where it comes from and whether or not it's inevitable (hint: it's not). Fukuyama is a real realist. What…
on “Ask HN: What are some good (fiction/non-fiction) books about human progress?” ↗…seems to be more a part of later developments than city states. Before that came written laws, and before that came having states. I guess I'd recommend reading The World Until Yesterday followed by The Origins of Political Order.
on “The Evolution of Trust” ↗If you're interested in the formation of states you'd probably be interested in Francis Fukuyama's "Origins of Political Order". He starts from small bands of hunter-gatherers and explores some factors that drove political development from those disparate bands up through the French Revolution.
on “The real roots of early city states may rip up the textbooks” ↗Check out: The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama, which has a pretty long section about how the Catholic Church in medieval Europe worked really hard to break up the power of clans. (It is one reason why they forced priests to become…
on “How Indian Americans Came to Run Half of All U.S. Motels” ↗