From collection to collective: Institutional conditions for the organic state

Abstract

Despite its prominence in the history of political thought, the analogy between states and organisms has fallen into disrepute. Evolutionary theory, however, gives reason to reconsider it. The Price equation, a model drawn from theoretical biology, identifies specific conditions that facilitate the transition from a collection of individuals to a collective organism. It thereby provides a powerful framework for resolving the longstanding debate in political theory between those who view states as cohesive organisms and critics who emphasize rational individual choice. Our analysis suggests that organic theory can withstand the main criticisms offered by methodological individualists, but only with certain qualifications. Although organic theory is unlikely to apply to large, modern states, it may prove useful when applied to subnational entities.