Featuring a uniquely philosophical lens, The Origins of Tyranny: War Chiefs, Divine Kings, Dictators, and Totalitarians provides readers with an exploration of the development of tyranny throughout history within tribes, great empires, city-states, and nations. The book points to the nature of the human species as a way of understanding the roots of tyranny, examining how our intelligent awareness of ourselves and the world around us paired with our innate instinct toward domination-submission have engendered both democratic and tyrannical tendencies.

The book is organized into six distinct parts. Part I begins in hunter-gatherer times, exploring the rise of the alpha male and democracy in tribal societies, the transition from war chief to king, and the rise of the divine kingship. In Part II, students learn about oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny in Greek and Italian city-states and tyranny during the English and French revolutions. Part III discusses the progression of tyranny to totalitarianism in the 20th century, including material on Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and communist efforts in China and North Korea. Part IV introduces the concept of illiberal democracy, and Part V focuses on the causes of tyranny, including social crises, rapid social change, and political disorder. The final part speaks to the evolution of humanistic ethics and the question of whether women can save us from the alpha male.

Developed to help students better understand how tyranny takes hold, as well as how it can be combated and prevented, The Origins of Tyranny is an ideal textbook for courses in world history, philosophy, sociology, and international relations.