The Maintenance and Necessity of Universal Rules: Scale, Hierarchy, the Cost of Justice, and Civilizational Development

TL;DR

This paper examines how societal structures evolve from small to ultra-large scales, emphasizing the importance of hierarchy and topology in maintaining universal rules and civilizational development.

Contribution

It introduces a topological framework explaining the necessity of hierarchical complexity for rule preservation in large societies, extending previous research on social structures.

Findings

Peer monitoring supports egalitarianism in small societies.

Flattened structures lead to rule degradation in large societies.

Hierarchical depth is essential for sustaining civilization growth.

Abstract

Building upon previous research, this paper further explores the topological foundations for maintaining universal rules within ultra-large-scale societies. It finds that in small-scale societies, absolute egalitarianism and the rule of law can be compatible through peer monitoring within a fully connected network. However, in ultra-large-scale societies, to maintain high-dimensional rules capable of protecting innovation and property rights, a complex hierarchical structure including "high-fragility" nodes must be constructed. Through quantitative analysis of power structures, this paper proves that a flattened, two-tier structure inevitably leads to the degradation of the rule of law. Only a social topology with sufficient hierarchical depth can escape the deathly trap of the Leviathan while expanding in scale, thereby sustaining the dynamic evolution of civilization.