Order and Anarchy: Civil Society, Social Disorder and War

Through the study of civil society, the evolution of social relations, and the breakdown of social order, Order and Anarchy re-examines the role of violence in human social evolution. Drawing on anthropology, political science, and evolutionary theory, it offers a novel approach to understanding stability and instability in human society. Utilising case studies ranging from ephemeral African gold rush communities and the night club scene in Britain to stable hunter-gatherer and peasant cultures, Robert Layton provides a radical critique of current concepts of civil society.