State: A History of Government

Franz Oppenheimer's history of government examines how states are formed, attesting that their genesis consists of conquest of one group of people over another.

A classic of sociology and political theory, The State traverses the millennia of human civilization, identifying and discussing trends common to the creation and organization of centralized government. Oppenheimer strongly disagreed with the Enlightenment idea of the social contract, which posits that individuals consent to be governed; surrendering freedoms in exchange for the maintenance of public order. In the author's view, government is the consequence of violent conquest, and seeks economic exploitation of a subjugated people, who are often left with no choice in the matter.

The author advocated for a socialist society, and writes from this perspective; he believes that the state is the originator and enforcer of wealth inequality in a country. By forcing terms upon property and the labor force, the state is able to engineer a situation whereby a small, wealthy class maintains social and economic control. However, Oppenheimer believes that this situation was moderated by the emergence of the modern democratic state, which he considered more humanitarian than earlier forms of government.

Enduringly read by libertarian, anarchist and socialist readers for over a century, The State remains a hotly debated work.