Karl August Wittfogel
Karl August Wittfogel was a German-American historian and sinologist known for his studies on the role of water management in the development of civilizations, particularly in ancient China. His most famous work is 'Oriental Despotism,' where he argues that societies with large-scale irrigation projects tend to develop despotic governments.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Oriental Despotism
A Comparative Study of Total Power
"Oriental Despotism" presents a theory that ancient bureaucratic societies, particularly those in Asia, developed as a result of the need to manage large-scale irrigation systems. The author argues that the control of water resources in arid regions led to the creation of centralized, autocratic power structures, which he terms "hydraulic despotisms." These governments wielded significant control over their subjects, as the management and distribution of water was crucial for agriculture and survival. The book explores how this form of governance influenced the political and social structures of various Eastern civilizations, contrasting them with Western societies that developed under different ecological conditions.
The 4191st Greatest Book of All Time
