ABSTRACT
Are human societies generally characterized by harmony and order or marked by continual conflict? And if both order and conflict are present virtually everywhere, which is the best starting point for further analysis? Does the appearance of conflict usually conceal a deeper agreement on the basic rules of the game, as when chess players, enemies on either side of the board, nonetheless freely subscribe to a set of binding rules about appropriate play. Or is it order and harmony that are superficial? Do we obey laws, or accept less than our equal share of valuable resources, not because we accept the fairness of the social order, but because we fear the consequences of our disobedience or rebellion. Are revolutions relatively rare in human society because most people regard the status quo, perhaps not as entirely just, but as a taken for granted reality, or is it the case that most are cowed by the threat of force or intimidated by the superior organization of their rulers?
