Overview

Robert L. Carneiro is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in anthropology in the twentieth century, best known for “A Theory of the Origin of the State” (1970). His efforts throughout his career brought cultural evolutionism from its nineteenth-century origins into the twenty-first century. This book is comprised of thirteen essays, ordered and balanced according to Carneiro’s own conceptual arrangement, and aims to contribute to revitalizing this durable, illuminating theoretical perspective for current and future generations of students and anthropologists.

Full Product Details

Author:   Robert Bates Graber
Publisher:   Berghahn Books
Imprint:   Berghahn Books
ISBN:  

9781805398370

ISBN 10:   1805398377
Pages:   276
Publication Date:   01 March 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Editor's Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Successive Reequilibrations as the Mechanism of Cultural Evolution Chapter 2. Structure, Function, and Equilibrium in the Evolutionism of Herbert Spencer Chapter 3. The Transition from Quantity to Quality: A Neglected Causal Mechanism in Accounting for Social Evolution Chapter 4. A Reappraisal of the Roles of Technology and Organization in the Origin of Civilization Chapter 5. Ascertaining, Testing, and Interpreting Sequences of Cultural Development Chapter 6. Stellar Evolution and Social Evolution: A Study in Parallel Processes Chapter 7. The Nature of the Chiefdom as Revealed by Evidence from the Cauca Valley of Colombia Chapter 8. What Happened at the Flashpoint? Conjectures on Chiefdom Formation at the Very Moment of Conception Chapter 9. Process vs. Stages: A False Dichotomy in Tracing the Rise of the State Chapter 10. Was the Chiefdom a Congelation of Ideas? Chapter 11. A Theory of the Origin of the State Chapter 12. The Circumscription Theory: Challenge and Response Chapter 13. Political Expansion as an Expression of the Principle of Competitive Exclusion Conclusion Bibliography Index

Reviews

“This book presents a number of important papers, previously published, by the respected anthropologist and proponent of cultural evolution, Robert L. Carneiro.” • Janet Chernela, University of Maryland “The volume is especially useful in bringing to light quite a few of Carneiro’s works that have not got the attention they perhaps deserve…as the preface makes clear, [ ] Carneiro himself structured the chapter sequence, which gives the chapters a coherence, Carneiro’s personal imprimatur, and historical value as a document reflecting how he saw his ideas develop through his career.” • Paul Roscoe, University of Maine

Author Information

Robert Bates Graber is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Truman State University. He also taught at Millsaps College and held a visiting position with the University of Missouri’s Department of Anthropology. His books include A Scientific Model of Social and Cultural Evolution, and Meeting Anthropology Phase to Phase.

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