Theory of the state: Essays proposals and indicative literature

1. The origins of the state (pre- state forms of social organization: band, tribe, and chiefdom – conditions and consequences of the genesis of the state)

 

J. Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel,

F. Engels, The origin of the family, private property and the State, in: readingfromtheleft.com,

Boix, The origins of the state, in: open.knowledge.worldbank.org,

Vincent, Conceptions of the state, p. 43-54, in Encyclopedia of government and politics, accessible from the literature accompanying State (polity) in Wikipedia.

 

2. The ancient city-state (Forms of government – the importance of slavery in the ancient world)

 

M. Finley, Politics in the ancient world,

Stein, Understanding Ancient State Societies in the old World, in: www.researchgate.net,

Levitt, Why did Ancient States Collapse, in: achaeopress.com

 

3. The absolutist state (the transition from feudalism to capitalism- concentration and institutionalization of power-forms of absolutist government)

 

Harding, The origins of the concept of the state, in: www.jstor.org,

P. Anderson, Lineages of the Absolutist State,

Runciman, The origins of the modern state in Europe, in: www.persee.fr,

Lachmann, Review of Lineages of the Absolutist state, in: www.researchgate.net

 

4. Positivist state theory (the definition of the state by Georg Jellinek and its problems)

 

Jellinek, Allgemeine Staatslehre (έκδοση 1905), in: www.worldcat.org also in: gleichsatz.de

 

5. The fascist state

 

Paxton, The anatomy of fascism, in: libcom.org,

Esposito, Fascism – Concepts and Theories, in: docupedia.de,

Mussolini, The political and social doctrine of Fascism, in: media.wix.com

 

6. The problem of sovereignty (Bodin and Hobbes- The treaty of Westphalia and sovereignty – Modern state sovereignty)

 

J. Bodin, Six books of the commonwealth, in: yorku.ca,

T. Hobbes, Leviathan, in: socialsciences.mcmaster.ca,

Merriam, History of the Theory of Sovereignty since Rousseau, in: socialsciences.mcmaster.ca

Code: ER178
Teaching staff: Chryssogonos Konstantinos
Course type: Erasmus
Teaching Period: Spring
Teaching dates and hours: Tuesday, 14.00-16.00
Sector:Public Law and Political Science