The State

By Franz Oppenheimer, John M (John Milton) Gitterman, John M Gitterman

Book Overview

"The State" is a foundational work of sociology and political theory that examines the origin, development, and future of the state as a social institution. Franz Oppenheimer presents a provocative thesis that distinguishes between the "economic means"-the use of one's own labor and the equivalent exchange of one's own labor for the labor of others-and the "political means"-the unrequited appropriation of the labor of others. He argues that the state is not a product of a social contract, but rather an institution forced by a victorious group upon a defeated group with the sole purpose of regulating the dominion of the former over the latter.

Through a sweeping historical analysis, Oppenheimer traces the evolution of the state from its primitive beginnings in nomadic conquest to its development into the modern maritime and feudal states. By exploring the sociological underpinnings of political power and class formation, "The State" offers a critical perspective on the nature of government and the persistence of economic inequality. This classic text remains essential reading for students of political science, sociology, and economics, providing a rigorous framework for understanding the historical forces that have shaped human governance and social structure.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025500458
• ISBN13: 9781025500454
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Serious work written two years too late...

There isn't much else that can be said about "The State" that wasn't covered in the first review. The book is very relavent because it forces the reader to think about the very serious question of how we came to be ruled. People are unaware of the coercive nature of the state, as well as it's predatory appetite. The key to the entire treatise is that it identifies the income tax as the turning point of when the state ceases to be the servant of the people and becomes its master. The book, originaly written in 1914, could possibly have prevented this slavery of the masses if it had been written just two years earlier. But all "civilized" societies succumb to the income tax because they are tricked into it. Think about it, who would support the confiscatory practice of paying taxes, when gov't had already survived so long without it? "The State" is an important read for the serious student of history. It adds that extra level of knowledge that one would otherwise not even think about.

The Rise and Development of the State.

_The State_, republished from volume two of _The System of Sociology_ in English by the anarchist Black Rose Books, written by German sociologist and political economist Franz Oppenheimer is a fascinating sociological exposition of the growth and development of the state from a libertarian (classical liberal) perspective. Franz Oppenheimer (1864 - 1943) was a German sociologist who taught at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main. He was eventually to teach in Palestine and finally emigrate to America. Oppenheimer's views are libertarian and he defined himself as a liberal socialist. He was heavily influenced by such anarchistic thinkers as Proudhon and Kropotkin but also by libertarians such as Henry George and in line with the thinking of Albert Jay Nock. Oppenheimer sees the state as being born in violence and resulting from the oppression of one class by another. However, he does not completely condemn the state, remaining neutral in this book and maintaining the stance of a classical liberal. Oppenheimer's views are also tinted with a belief in progress, democracy, and evolutionism, and as such he believed that the state could eventually be overcome and result in a democratic society of freemen. This is unfortunate in light of the fact of the continued growth of the state and seems naïve as pointed out by C. Hamilton in his 1975 preface to this book. Nevertheless, this book offers an extremely useful and important sociological critique of the role of the state and shows its growth and development through history. Oppenheimer begins his book with a preface in which he attempts to explain precisely what he means by "the state" and distinguish his understanding of the state (what he calls the "sociological understanding") from that of his critics. In particular, Oppenheimer argues that although several noted critics among ethnologists have maintained that forms of "government" and "leadership" exist even among societies in which there are no class distinctions, that this rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of what he means by "the state". Oppenheimer maintains that "The State may be defined as an organization of one class dominating over the other classes. Such a class organization can come about in one way only, namely, through conquest and the subjection of ethnic groups by the dominating group." Oppenheimer cites such individuals as Albion Small, Alfred Vierkandt, Wilhelm Wundt, and in particular Ludwig Gumplowicz to support this interpretation. Oppenheimer also maintains that this is the "sociological concept of the state". Further, Oppenheimer argues against the theories of Malthus concerning the so-called "law of population". The first chapter of this book is entitled "Theories of the State". Again, Oppenheimer considers the "sociological conception of the state". Oppenheimer considers for example the theories of Rousseau (who derives the state from a "social contract"), Carey (who argues that the state