Seeing Like a State

By: James C. Scott

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Compulsory ujamaa villages in Tanzania, collectivization in Russia, Le Corbusier's urban planning theory realized in Brasilia, the Great Leap Forward in China, agricultural "modernization" in the Tropics - the twentieth century has been racked by grand utopian schemes that have inadvertently brought death and disruption to millions. Why do well-intentioned plans for improving the human condition go tragically awry?

In this wide-ranging and original audiobook, James C. Scott analyzes failed cases of large-scale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields. Centrally managed social plans misfire, Scott argues, when they impose schematic visions that do violence to complex interdependencies that are not - and cannot - be fully understood. Further, the success of designs for social organization depends upon the recognition that local, practical knowledge is as important as formal, epistemic knowledge. The author builds a persuasive case against "development theory" and imperialistic state planning that disregards the values, desires, and objections of its subjects. He identifies and discusses four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society by the state; a "high-modernist ideology" that places confidence in the ability of science to improve every aspect of human life; a willingness to use authoritarian state power to effect large-scale interventions; and a prostrate civil society that cannot effectively resist such plans.

©2018 James C. Scott (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Micro Managing at the Macro Level

This is a great breakdown of how highly educated and accredited “elites” use their book knowledge to micromanage events at a macro level without any understanding of local knowledge and customs.

Anyone who thinks they understand how to run someone else’s life better than they do should read this book. That includes anyone running for public office or working as a public servant.

Imperative

This work could be instrumental in understanding the implementation of technical thinking in the 19th and 20th centuries. Especially from an agrarian standpoint. This is huge.

Estate planning, put on display

The book serves as a clear demonstration of the logic, vicissitudes and ultimately the inefficiencies behind centralized planning systems in any statist system. The book goes a long way to make the case for autonomous individuals in small communities, making more flexible less rigid decisions.

The new logic of all behavior

Just the headline idea: that every entity seeks to bend the world into legibility to itself, often obliterating things outside of this logic -- is worth the price of admission. The writing is peppered with insight, on levels of behavioral logic, cognitive science, philosophy, ecology, politics, economics and more. Whether or not that was the author's intention, I see all this in it. And I see the way humanity will probably have its most large-scale failures. This is a worthy milestone in human awareness, even if we end up watching it play out with devastating consequences.

Good content, but a bit dry

This book is very engaging at times and overall contains some interesting content. However, there definitely some slow patches that I found myself grinding through. Nonetheless, I learnt quite a bit so perhaps there was a trade off for that hard work.

A must read

Necessary reading in order to understand the shaping of the modern world. And engaging and revelatory look at the high modernist systems that control the world.

Best Work on State's Vision and Reshaping Forces

One of the best works in politics, society, and anthropology. Clearly describes and illustrates the relationship between the State and the society it both rules and is embedded in.

Discusses the forces of social organisation both implemented by the State and naturally evolving outside the State, and describes how the State reshapes society to better coincide with its methods of seeing society.

If you liked this, you'll like Bureaucracy by Ludwig von Mises (examination of the forces behind bureaucracy's behavior - cf Public Choice theory). Also read more James C Scott - Two Cheers For Anarchy (the good in Anarchy) and Against The Grain (the development of States with that of agriculture).

Excellent critique of state intervention

Seeing like a state is a critique of 'high modernism' a reductive disposition of the state towards society aimed at making it more 'legible' (manageable and readable for state purposes such as taxation) by attempting to simplify, organise and mould society, often with disasterous consequences deriving not least from interrupting or depleting complex systems whose principles the state does not fully comprehend, or ignoring or suppressing the application of practical or contextual knowledge ('metis').

Excellent

Government which is small and focuses on the locality works best. The author proves this time and time again. Good narration.

Excellent

Loved this tome! Perfect for historians of my ilk Great work! I am impressed.