Ancient states (origin and formation of governance)

Author: [German] R. Herzog, translated by Zhao Rongheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-11-01
Features: One prominent feature of this book is its bold yet cautious exploration of prehistoric and ancient world states, particularly the nascent forms of statehood, tracing them back to the distant millennia of 7,800 to 8,000 years ago. This is a highly beneficial initiative for both historiography and political science. However, as the author himself states, it is an "arduous and deeply perplexing" task. Another distinctive aspect of the book is the author's focus on analyzing various state functions from very early historical periods, dialectically highlighting both the bright and dark sides of the state. Additionally, the author conducts comparative studies of several early state types on a broad foundation, proposing some novel and insightful perspectives.