It can be safely assumed that human beings and
agglomerations of humans that we call societies, aspire for peace, prosperity
and liberty. It follows therefore, that an interesting subject for study and
debate is the whole issue of how these aspirations can be fulfilled and whether
societies have managed to fulfil these aspirations in history, and if not, why
not.
The 1640s were very violent and troubled times in
Britain and political philosopher Thomas Hobbes responded in 1651 with the book,
Leviathan, in which he recommended that people should ’submit their Wills’ to a
strong centralized state - the Leviathan - to ensure peace, and presumably,
prosperity.
Unfortunately, strong states have a penchant for
dominance - despotism is part of a state’s DNA - and liberty, all too often, is
quietly abandoned by the powers that be, as neither necessary nor sufficient
for social welfare. This very frequently leads to the emergence of a Despotic
Leviathan.
The authors argue that between an Absent Leviathan and
a Despotic Leviathan there is a very narrow ‘corridor’ in which a strong and
effective state can coexist with a capable, well-organized society that can
take collective action to keep the state ‘shackled’ and control its naturally
despotic tendencies without curtailing its effectiveness in other areas of endeavor.
Theorizing about the nature of great states is
interesting, but what is fascinating about this book is the wealth of real
world examples that the authors have collated and put forth for our
edification.
Athens, around 594 BCE, built a Shackled Leviathan through
the efforts of Solon, who was appointed Archon - a kind of executive President -
for a year. The authors quote Plutarch as saying,”The rich found him(Solon)
acceptable because of his wealth and the poor because of his integrity.” Solon
instituted reforms that created a balance of power between the rich and the
poor and empowered the common man without crippling the executive capability of
the state. Apart from his perspicacity, a significant point in this example is
Solon’s integrity - a rare quality in modern day leaders and perhaps the reason
for the predominance of Despotic Leviathans rather than Shackled Leviathans in
today’s world.
The Chinese state from ancient to modern times offers
an example of a Despotic Leviathan, while Western Europe has several examples
of Shackled Leviathans. The role of
history is significant here. The fall of the Western Roman Empire at the hands -
or swords - of Germanic tribes brought together the centralized hierarchical
administrative structures of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church with their
traditions of consensual decision making via assemblies characteristic of the
Germanic tribes. The confluence of these two rather divergent societal
characteristics enabled the emergence of Shackled Leviathans - effective states
constrained by strongly mobilized, well-organized societies. ’Path Dependence’,
as the academics call it, makes history important, though the authors argue that agency - charismatic
leaders, cohesive civil society groups et al - is very significant too.
An interesting ,though far too brief, analysis of the
Indian situation is worth mentioning here. A fragmented society divided by
caste and so at war - or at least in conflict - with itself cannot come
together to shackle a strong state. Furthermore, Colonial powers created state
institutions, but not any means whereby society could monitor and control them.
And post Independence these institutions continued without any significant
alteration in ethos. Thus India, the
logic goes, is unlikely to evolve into a Shackled Leviathan. This analysis can
be the starting point for a detailed examination of the state in India, the
path dependence leading to the Despotic Leviathan and the conditions needed to
get to the corridor of the Shackled Levaithan. This is an exercise waiting to
be done.
Sub Saharan Africa yields several examples of the
Absent Leviathan and Russia and Georgia yield outstanding examples of the
Despotic one.
A detailed analysis of the evolution of the American
Leviathan is remarkably educative. The limitations of the Constitution, the
compromises with the slave owning constituencies of the South, the Bill of
Rights and its limitations and much more make for fascinating reading.
The problem and its history have been brilliantly analyzed
by the authors .The solutions are, however, hard to pin down. There is no
single route to reach the ideal Shackled Leviathan; history matters a great
deal; the emergence of charismatic leaders is important…
There is no clear prescription for curing the despotic
tendencies of a strong centralized state. Societal mobilization of the non-elite
is required, but how can that be achieved in a fragmented, hierarchical
society?
We have to look elsewhere for answers.
The knowledge that this book imparts and the questions
it raises are worth the effort required to read it.
The book is highly educative and strongly recommended.
Happy reading.
