Origins of Inequality in Human Societies

Since the beginning of social life, human societies have faced the problem how to distribute the results of collaborative activities among the participants. The solutions they found ranged from egalitarian to unequal but also caused more social division and conflict than just about any other social structure in human history. Inequality became an early priority of the social sciences and continues to be the subject of much current controversy.

Origins of Inequality begins with a critical assessment of classical sociological explanations of inequality and the political and economic environment in which they arose. It then offers a new evolutionary theory of the growth of distributive structures in human societies. It examines the interaction of chance, intent and unforeseen consequences in the evolution of social inequality. It analyzes processes of social control which can consolidate inequality even if it is costly or harmful for most participants, follows the emergence of inequality structures in different societies and traces their irregular historical pathways. The book also explores issues of distributive justice and options for greater equality in modern societies. Along with its focus on social inequality the book covers topics in cultural evolution, social and economic history and social theory.