[Reference books for IR] - Week 12 - “The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies and The Fate of liberty”

“The Narrow Corridor: State, Society and the Fate of Freedom” – is a work that builds on the foundation of the book “Why Nations Fail” written by Acemoglu and Robinson themselves. At first glance, the parts of the book seem disconnected, but it is this that creates surprises for the reader at the book's destination in Chapter 15: Living with The Leviathan.

Freedom – is what the authors focus on discussing in the book, as Acemoglu and Robinsons themselves assert in the introduction “This book is about freedom and why human society has acquired it as well as it. like losing it…”. And Acemoglu and the Robinsons' view of freedom was inspired by John Locke's view of freedom - Freedom is a fundamental human aspiration, and every single human being in society ensures that "no one may harm his life, health, liberty or property”. Daron Acemoglu recognizes that political freedom comes from conflicts, struggles in society or freedom that will emerge in the chaotic operation of a society. From John Locke's point of view, that a state - in order to maintain social order - must have a majority consensus of the ruled, the people willing to depose the ruler if their interests are not ensured and thereby the state dissolves, the two authors believe that a narrow corridor will appear when the conflict between the State and society appears, in that corridor freedom will flourish.

The 12th week of the Reference books for IR project would like to introduce to you the Book Chapter Review written by MSc. Le Phuong Cat Nhi, Lecturer, Faculty of International Relations, University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City.