The State has become the dominant political institution, claiming dominion over every speck of human habitable land on the planet. But omnipresent as it seems, the modern State is a relatively new development in human affairs. What is the State? How did it originate, outcompete other political forms, and come to divide up the world? Why have people resisted and fled the State for as long as it has existed, and what tactics did resistance take? How does the State make itself appear to be natural, inevitable, and necessary? At its core, is the State a tool for protecting peace and fundamental human freedoms, or a structure of warmaking and oppression? What tactics does the State use to ensure internal order and compliance of its population? What are its future prospects? While grounded primarily in political theory, students will examine the State from a variety of academic disciplines and political ideologies.

The course is divided into four general sections. Beginning with Leviathan in the Deep, we will examine accounts of the murky origins of the State, through warmaking, class oppression, the creation of territorial based rule, and indigenous resistance to those projects. We will critically analyze core works in political theory From the Mouths of the Beast, which seek to justify the extent of State power, reading theorists from Islamic, Chinese, European, American, and Fascist traditions. Worshiping the Beast interrogates how populations are made to be obedient, focusing on techniques beyond overt violence, where individuals come to identify with the State, producing seemingly voluntary and enthusiastic support. This includes the ‘civilizing’ process, racialized and gendered foundations, national identity, colonial processes, the structure of cities, disciplinary and bio-power, and educational and cultural institutions. Finally, The Beast as Savior/Abuser considers attempts to use (or reject using) the State for progressive and revolutionary ends, including communist, anarchist, feminist, queer, and climatic goals.