Darwinism, Dominance, and Democracy

Somit and Peterson seek to explain two apparently contradictory yet well-established political phenomena: First, throughout human history, the vast majority of political societies have been authoritarian. Second, notwithstanding this pattern, from time to time, democracies do emerge and some even have considerable stability. A neo-Darwinian approach can help make sense of these observations. Humans—social primates—have an inborn bias toward authoritarian life, based on their tendency to engage in dominance behavior and the formation of dominance hierarchies. Reinforcing this bias is an impulse toward obedience. These factors are associated with the propensity of humans to accept authoritarian systems.Nonetheless, the authors argue, conditions of material abundance combined with another human characteristic—indoctrinability—can foster the emergence and maintenance of democracies. Somit and Peterson assert that an understanding of human nature from an evolutionary perspective can help to explain how and why political systems have developed. They conclude by pointing to policy implications that might enhance the odds of formation and continuation of democratic forms of government. Students and scholars of political science and philosophy, sociology, and human biology will find this an intriguing study.

"[A]n intrepid but compassionate study of the political dilemmas stimulated by the hierarchical regularities of human groups. It is also responsibly passionate about getting the scholarship right, the interpretation honest, and the implications unfancifully clear. This volume should be a firm part of curricula on democracy, the history of political theory, and on human nature."-Lionel Tiger Rutgers University, "Albert Somit and Steven Peterson have the distinction of having remained mainstream while becoming leaders in the biopolitical movement."-Jean Laponce Department of Political Science The University of British Columbia Coeditor, the International Political Science Review, "Somit and Peterson have produced an intriguing and provocative account of the limits of democracy.... [T]hey provide a challenge to democratic theory that is of tremendous pedagogical use.... It poses issues that should engage theorists and advanced students, but it is written at a level that is accessible to undergraduate courses [as well]."-Meredith W. Watts Professor, Political Science University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, "Somit and Peterson provide an informative account of the evolutionary basis for our historical (and current) opposition to democracy. For many, this will be an unwelcome message--like being told that one's fly is unzipped. But after a brief bout of anger, we tend to thank the messenger for sparing us further embarrassment."-Robert E. Lane Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Yale University Past President, American Political Science Association, "This is a bold and forceful attempt to state clearly and without needless technicality the problem democracy faces in surviving, not against totalitarian foes, but against its own inherent incompatibility with our evolved emotional and cognitive natures.... [A]n excellent, well-argued, well-documented and courageous effort to face ideologically unpalatable facts with a dose of scientific realism."-Robin Fox University Professor of Social Theory Rutgers University

ALBERT SOMIT is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at Southern Illinois University. He has served as Executive Vice-President of the State University of New York at Buffalo and as President of Southern Illinois University. He is one of the earliest pioneers in the field of biology and politics and the founder of the International Political Science Association Research Committee #12 (Biology and Politics).STEVEN A. PETERSON is Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. He has been active in the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences and Research Committee #12, and has written extensively on biology and politics.Together they have coauthored several works including The Dynamics of Evolution and Biopolitics and the Mainstream.