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1 results

  • 3 - The Origin of Constitutions

  • from Part I - Constitutional Diffusion
  • Wim Voermans, Universiteit Leiden
  • Book:
    The Story of Constitutions
    Published online:
    19 October 2023
    Print publication:
    02 November 2023, pp 44-68

  • Summary

    To find answers for the worldwide proliferation of constitutions we need to look at root causes: the sources of constitutions. These are found and human nature. Men are social animals. During human evolution our brains have been wired to work together in communities up to a maximum of 150 members (the Dunbar number). Beyond that number it is difficult to cooperate: we can only do that if there are form of artificial trust and recognition available: and that is what constitutions do and provide. Abstract - imagined - concepts that help us jump the Dunbar threshold and cooperate in large scale groups, and overcome our brain limitations for large scale cooperation